


Lady Antebellum

by aerpocket2020



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1940s, Artist Steve Rogers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Protective Bucky Barnes, Small Towns, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23630137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerpocket2020/pseuds/aerpocket2020
Summary: Sharon wasn't going to be taken in by some pretty blue eyes and an easy smile. Sarah's father or not. She wasn't about to hand her niece over to a stranger.
Relationships: Peggy Carter & Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Sharon Carter/Steve Rogers, Sharon and Steve in the end
Comments: 56
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

Sarah

When Peggy had sent the telegram saying she was getting married the Carters had been seated in the living room. Sharon, 19 years old and sprawled on the rug, was reading the telegram out loud. 

"Wanted to let you all know that I've met the most wonderful man in the world and seeing as there's no real end in sight to the war we've decided to get married." 

Short. 

Succinct. 

Very cousin Peggy.

Harrison had chuckled from behind his newspaper. Her mother, Amanda Carter, was having a conniption. 

"IS THAT THE WAY TO TELL NEWS LIKE THAT YOUR ONLY LIVING FAMILY?!" 

Harrison was folding his paper "Now, Amanda-"

"Don't 'Amanda' me! Suppose Sharon did something like that?"

"Well, what could we do my love? If my daughter wanted to marry 'the most wonderful man in the world' there's little I could do to stop her."

Sharon shared a smile with her father. That was what they would come to refer to Steve as, months before they ever saw a picture of him or even knew his name. 

"Missus Carter?" Amanda's shouting had brought Cal to the parlor. "Everything alright?"

"Peggy's getting married" Sharon piped in, while her mother continued to hyperventilate. 

Cal smiled. "Sounds like wonderful news. Lord knows that girl's had enough pain in her life. She could use some good." 

In the months that followed Sharon would get letters, sometimes many at the same time, because of the slow post during the war from Peggy at the front. She sounded happy. She talked about Steve Rogers like he'd hung the moon. 

And one day a photograph of Captain Steven Grant Rogers. He had full lips and was wearing his uniform. Sharon thought him dashing.  
Haverford, Sharon's hometown, had been far from any fighting but Sharon worried about Peg every day. She worried every day that when she came up the path arm in arm with Nat Barton her best friend that her father would be standing on the porch with another telegram and an unhappy look on his face. And about 10 months later that's exactly what happened. 

"I'm gonna go." The red-head untangled herself from Sharon, both of them looking at her father.

She barely registered Nat promising to see her the next day. Just walked up to the porch and put her arms around him.  
"How did it happen?"  
Harrison sighed into his daughter's blond hair. "Childbirth."  
Sharon drew back immediately. "What? She never said-"

"She told me", Harrison sighed. "Your cousin hadn't been keeping too healthy. She worried that the baby might not live."  
Sharon stared expectantly at her father. 

"The baby is fine. Perfectly healthy." He smiled, sadly. "Sarah will be here in a month or two once she's big enough to travel. Your mother and I will go to New York and bring her here ourselves."

Sharon frowned. "But what about Captain Rogers?"  
"Steve has been missing since the day before your cousin went into labor. He was involved in a skirmish. He's either been killed in action or taken prisoner. They're not holding out hope that he's still alive."

Sharon had begun to cry now. Hot tears spilling over her cheeks when Dr. Carter took his only daughter's face in his hands.  
"Darling," he said gently, "There's nothing for any of us to do now except cherish her daughter. She's family."  
And through all that agony 'The Most wonderful little girl in the World' became theirs. She was blonde and blue-eyed and Cal, who had raised Sharon since she was a baby herself, was glad to have another baby in the house. 

The first night Sarah Mae Rogers was fast asleep in Sharon's old crib, she'd sat by in the rocking chair and made Peggy a promise that Sarah would never want for family. She'd been like a daughter to Amanda and Harrison after her own parents had passed and the Carters looked after their own.  
She glanced at the photos on the dresser. There was one of Peggy when she was young. A few others of the girls growing up and even the one of Captain Rogers. His lips were pouty despite the relaxed posture and faint smile. He wasn't looking directly at the camera. 

Sarah would grow into her childhood and Sharon into true adulthood saying good night to those pictures on her dresser. She wouldn't look anything like Peggy the older she got and each night Aunt Shari, as she was now known, would kiss her niece's smiling face before turning off the light and think it was a shame that she'd never got to meet Steve. If only to give her niece something of the man she so clearly resembled. 

Until one day, not long after the war was over and Sharon and her family had wept in a strange mixture of grief and relief, another telegram arrived. This one didn't come from the war office. It was sent by a Sargent James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th. Sarah's father was alive. He was coming home and he wanted to see his daughter.


	2. Steve

** Steve **

“I can’t quite believe this”, Amanda Carter sat heavily on the cane armchair in the parlor. “All these years we thought our Sarah Mae’s been an orphan.”

“She hasn’t been an orphan”, Harrison had insisted. “She’s been our girl the same way Peggy was.”

Cal was wiping nervously at her hands with her apron and Sharon was huddled in against the arm of a sofa with a blanket around her. They were trying to decide what to do next.

Amanda rolled her eyes at her husband. “That’s not what I meant.” She snapped. “But that baby has grown up believing her mother and father were dead. I want to know what it will do to her now to know that her father has been alive this whole time.”

Harrison started “Nevertheless if Captain Rogers wants to take Sarah back to Brooklyn-”

Amanda immediately jumped down his throat. “We’re _not_ handing Sarah over to a stranger.”

“Amanda, he’s that little girl’s father!”

Sharon felt something wrench her heart in half. “Peggy would’ve wanted us to have Sarah.” Her voice had wavered. Somehow the thought of losing Sarah was the same as hearing Peggy was gone.

“Peggy,” her father said, sounding as unhappy as they felt. “Would have wanted Sarah to be with family. And right now her closest family is Captain Rogers.”

No one spoke for a minute. The only sounds being the chirp of Cicadas. Sarah had gone to bed hours before.

“Doctor Carter”, Cal spoke quietly. “Maybe you oughtta invite Captain Rogers to stay with ya’ll for a little while.”

All three of them turned towards her.

“I don’t want him taking Miss Sarah away. But, maybe the least you folks could do was get to know Sarah’s daddy. Before anyone goes on making any rash decisions.”

Harrison could only nod tiredly. In the end, it was decided that he would wire Captain Rogers and insist he come stay with them in Haverford for at least a month.

And Aunt Shari would spend the week it would take him to arrive trying to gently let Sarah know that she had a father who loved her and wanted to see her.

Amanda Carter, who was as loving as she was dramatic, had swept haughtily from the room like the debutante she had once been declaring that her husband could sleep in the guest room.

Cal and Sharon shared a weak smile at the startled look on Harrison’s face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was a regular routine at the Carter household.

Sharon woke up promptly at 6:00 am. Helped Cal make breakfast and packed a lunch for her father.

Then at 7:00, it was Sharon’s job to wake the princess. She wondered idly, as she stood at Sarah’s door watching the rise and fall of the small figure in the nightgown if this would be some of the last times she would do this.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed some of Sarah’s fine honey colored blonde hair from her face. “Rise and shine, Sweetie.”

Sarah let out a very un-ladylike snort and tugged the comforter up over her head. A very Peggy thing to do.

“If you don’t come out of there I’ll have to tickle you.”

She sat up immediately, shoving the sheet down to her waist and blinking owlishly at Sharon. “You’re a meanie, Aunt Shari.”

Sarah had very blue eyes. Cal had gushed over what a beautiful baby she was, claiming that it was only Sharon who had been as pretty a little girl. The Carters and Cal had spoiled her, perhaps even more than they’d spoiled Sharon in her youth. She’d had Sharon’s old room, bed, and toys. The bigger she got the more they doted on her. Maybe to make up for her lack of parents, or maybe for the simple fact that they’d fallen in love.

Sharon reached out and smoothed her thumbs over the 4-year-old’s cheeks. “You’re so pretty,” she cooed. “How are you so pretty?”

Sarah giggled adorably and reached out to pat Sharon’s cheeks. “No! You’re the prettiest Aunty Shari!”

She gave her niece a smacking kiss on one cheek and gathered her into her lap. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“’ Bout what?”

“Well,” Sharon said, picking up the picture of Steve on the dresser. “About him.”

“'Bout Daddy?”

“Do you remember what we told you about him?”

“That he and mama were both in heaven and loved me very much.”

Something squeezed her heart. “What if I told you your Aunty Shari had made a big mistake? Would you forgive me?”

“O’Course I would!” Sarah’s eyes were big and serious and she had reached out with both hands to play with Sharon’s hair.

“Sweetheart I’m so sorry. I thought your Daddy was in heaven with your mama, but it turns out he was just…lost. But Uncle Harry’s found him.”

“Did he-did he gots lost in the war?”

It startled Sharon how smart she was sometimes. “Yes, he did. It wasn’t his fault.”

“Like that time I gots lost at the store?”

That startled a laugh out of Sharon. “I guess, maybe a little.”

Sarah frowned at Sharon suddenly and tugged at her hair to get her attention. “Aunt Shari?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Was he scared? Like how I was scared when couldna find you and Cal?”

Her words sent a jolt through Sharon. Her father had told her some of what had happened. Steve’s plane had gone down behind enemy lines. She wondered what that must’ve been like being left for dead only to come back to find the love of your life was gone. And then learn you had a daughter who was four. 

She set the picture of Captain Rogers back on the dresser and cuddled Sarah into her chest.

“I think,” Sharon said, suddenly choked. “He must’ve been terrified.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is much appreciated. Also if there's something I can do to make that time period more authentic please feel free to speak up :)


	3. Sharon

Sharon

Sharon had gotten out of nursing school just in time for the war to be over. If it hadn’t she might’ve enlisted. She spent most mornings helping her father out and volunteered at the free clinic the local church helped set up.

She was starting to wonder if she should find full-time employment somewhere. Something Amanda Carter was absolutely against.

“Your fiancé has plenty of money,” She had said. “He might be offended if you decided to take up a job.”

“Has it occurred to you that I might _want_ to get a job?” Sharon had said stabbing a little viciously at her dinner the night before. “Not everything is about money.”

“You only say that because you’ve never had to worry about it.”

“Dad!” Sharon had turned to Harrison with a pleading look, but he’d only sighed and said he wished they could let him eat his dinner in peace. He wasn’t usually like that. Truthfully, they’d all been itching for arguments lately. Sergeant Barnes had written to say he was on his way with Sarah’s father. They’d arrive in a day or two. Sharon had a horrible sinking feeling that nothing would ever be the same again.

Her mother bringing up Grayson Daniels had brought up another pressing issue. She’d met him at a dance Nat had dragged her to a few years ago. Their engagement was new, but not unprecedented. He said he loved her and Sharon believed him. With the war over maybe, they could finally plan a wedding in earnest.

She mentally rejected Nat’s half-joking idea that they should both get married to their respective fiancés at the registrar. Since they’d met their fellas at the same place and time it seemed fitting to Nat that the journey ended the way it had begun.

And Nat was the exact reason she was now sitting on the front porch on a Sunday morning while her parents were at church recovering from a raging hangover. Nat had wound up dragging her out of the house after dinner with Bruce. They’d gone to some hole in the wall pub over in the next town. Grayson had joined them just when she and Nat were starting to go over-board on the whiskey. Bruce and Grayson had wound up having to practically carry the two of them out. Bruce had immediately offered to drive Sharon home after he dropped off Nat, but Sharon had elected to stay with Grayson for a little bit.

They’d wound up making out against his car like a couple of teenagers. He’d pulled away red-faced, pupils blown and asked her if she wanted to spend the night at his house. Sharon had hesitated. She was neither squeamish nor did she have any sort of hang-ups about sleeping with Grayson before marriage. But the fact remained that they hadn’t…ever.

In the end, she’d wound up smiling a little and declining politely. He hadn’t taken it badly at all. He never did. 

She tipped her head up to the sun in the chair and blinked behind her dark sunglasses. She loved Grayson. He was exciting and handsome and made her laugh. She should want to sleep with him.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts she almost didn’t see the taxi pull up to the house. She certainly didn’t miss the two men in service uniforms step out of it. She was standing up and off the porch in less than a second and yanking her sunglasses off her face.

_Nononononononono!_

Had they gotten the dates wrong? Captain Rogers wasn’t due for another two days!

_Shit! They were halfway up the gravel path already!_

Sharon watched, helpless to think of anything to do as they came trooping up to where she stood.

They were both tall and powerfully built, but there was something wary in their gait. Like wherever they went they were expecting plenty of things to go wrong.

They took their service caps off their heads when they reached her and Sharon got her first real look at Sarah’s father and Godfather.

“Ma’am?” the dark-haired of the two said, stepping forward. “Is this the Carter residence?”

When Sharon gaped at him a little, he started fumbling in his jacket pocket, while his blonde friend shuffled nervously behind him. “I have a letter here from Dr. Carter-“

“No,” Sharon said shaking herself a little. “You’ve got the right house. I’m so sorry. I-We- weren’t expecting you two so soon. Sarah’s not even home she’s-“

The blonde’s head snapped up a little at the mention of Sarah, spectacular eyes locking with Sharon’s and her ensuing thoughts were two things. The immediate being, Captain Roger’s photo didn’t really do him justice. Oh, it rendered a recognizable image of him of course. But it didn’t quite capture what a Greek god he was in real life.

And that wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part was that he was as beautiful as Sarah. Little touches of her showed on his face. The blueness of his eyes, the slight jut of his lower lip, his hair so blonde and shinning Sharon thought it was making her hangover worse.

The second thought was slower, James Barnes was introducing himself. “Sergeant Barnes, Ma’am.” And Sharon focused quickly to shake the hand he offered. “And this is-“he turned a little jerkily and gave his friend a look that seemed to scold.

“Captain Steven Rogers, Ma’am.” He said stepping around Sergeant Barnes and offering a big square palm for Sharon to shake. She took it. A little numb. He was so tall he’d blocked the sun a little. His eyelashes were so damn long Sharon thought he might’ve managed to cause a small tornado that would kill all the butterflies in the neighborhood.

He was here. Sarah’s father was here. He was here and so gorgeous and he was going to take Sarah away from her.

_Shit!_

(Mmmm...40s Steve is so damn underrated)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this new chapter!


	4. Sarah

Sarah

“I’m Sharon Carter.” She blurted. Then realized she had been staring awkwardly at Steve for about 30 seconds too long and dropped his warm hand like it was a grenade. “Umm. Why don’t you two come in?”

They followed her silently into the house and into the living room. Once there she faced them with (shaking) hands folded in front of her like the polite southern belle she was raised to be.

_Ha!_ A voice that sounded suspiciously like Nat said in her own head.

“I hope the journey down from New York was alright?”

Barnes offered her a very genuine smile. “It was fine. We’ve had worse .”

“I can imagine.”

_Smooth, Sharon! Real, smooth!_

A steady pounding had now settled on one side of Sharon’s head. Captain Rogers hadn’t said much. Just awkwardly straightened his olive drab tie and blinked his stupidly pretty doll eyes at her.

“I’m not sure where Sarah is right now-” Then started at how irresponsible that sounded. “What I meant was, Sarah usually goes over to play with a friend on Sundays. I. will. Go. Get. Her. For. You.” She sounded that last part out clearly, wringing her hands.

“That’d be great, thanks.” Sergeant Barnes said, winning smile still in place. “Steve here is really anxious to see her. Aren’t you _Steve_?” He glanced sideways at his friend.

_Steve_ didn’t say anything.

He looked like he was trying to breathe and remain standing at the same time.

Sharon swore she saw Barnes shut his eyes for a moment and mutter the words _, Jesus Christ,_ under his breath.

“Why don’t you two take a seat and I’ll ask Cal our housekeeper to bring Sarah home.”

The two nodded and took a seat on the sofa while Sharon swept into the kitchen with a panic that border lined on insanity.

“Cal!” She hissed at the housekeeper who was just bending over to put a chicken pot pie in the oven. “Where the hell is Sarah?!”

“She’s over at the Starks’ playing with Miss Morgan.” She said straightening and squinting at Sharon’s disheveled appearance. “You been out drinking with Miss Natasha again? Oh lord, Miss Shari-“

“Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes are here!”

Cal’s eyes bugged out immediately. “No, they ain’t!”

Sharon didn’t have time for this she was now holding the kitchen island for support and her panic had almost escalated to a hysteria Amanda Carter would’ve been proud of. “They’re sitting in the living room waiting for Sarah!”

“They can’t be here!” Cal said rounding the corner is a panicky streak. “I don’t have enough food! I was supposed to make lasagna! All I made was chicken pot pie! Ain’t no way that’s gonna feed a coupla starving war vets!”

“Cal! They don’t want your lasagna or your pot pie!” Sharon was aware that she was starting to sound as panicked as she felt. “Now I need you to go across the street and get her for me while I breathe in and out for a minute.”

Two seconds later the kitchen door was swinging with how fast Cal had run out the back door and Sharon was splashing her face with water from the sink to try and improve the hangover. She was just wiping her face with a kitchen towel when Cal ushered not one, but two very dirty little girls into the kitchen.

“Cal?” Sharon said, raising a shaky finger at the little brunette clutching Sarah’s hand. “What’s Morgan doing here?”

“I wanned her to meet my Daddy,” Sarah said and Morgan Stark beamed Sharon.

Cal let out an exhausted sigh. “I’m sorry Sharon. Sarah was refusing to come over without her.”

Sharon came around to the two of them in time for the kitchen door to swing open a second time and permit Pepper, Morgan’s mother.

“Hello, Ladies.” She said with a big smile. “Why did Cal just kidnap my daughter from my backyard? You’re welcome to keep her of course.”

“Pepper”, Sharon started, face a mask of agony. “I don’t think now’s a good time-“

Pepper’s smile fell immediately. “What’s wrong?” She reached out and clutched a shaking Sharon’s hand. “You two look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Something like that”, Cal muttered at the same time Sarah said brightly, “Mo’gan’s gonna meet my Dad!”

Pepper’s glanced quickly between Sarah and Sharon. “Your Dad? But I thought -“

“It’s true,” Sharon said weakly. “It’s a damn long story, but Captain Rogers is in the living room with Sarah’s godfather. They just got here from New York.”

Pepper gaped breathlessly at Sharon for a moment.

“Well, okay then.” She reached for Morgan. “Come on, honey. Let’s go home.”

“Nooooo!” both girls chorused, clutching tightly at one another.

“I want Daddy to meet my best friend!”

Sarah was glaring squarely at Sharon now, lower lip jutting out more than usual.

“Sharon,” Cal said eyes wide in warning, even as Sarah’s big blue ones glittered mutinously. “You can’t possibly allow this!”

There were several tense moments that followed. During which Sharon was sure Cal had begun losing respect for her.

“Ugh!” Sharon said, finally throwing up her hands in surrender. “Morgan can stay.”

“Yay!” The two girls cheered at the same time while Cal pursed her lips and shook her head.

“Can I stay too?” Pepper asked with a meek smile.

“Sure. Why not?” Sharon smiled tiredly. “I could use all the moral support I can get.”

“Yay.” Pepper clapped silently.

Cal was still glaring at her so Sharon shot her an apologetic look. “Cal, come on. This whole thing couldn’t possibly get any _more_ awkward. Might as well let the whole neighborhood meet him and get it over with.”

“Suuure. That’s it. It’s not that you’re a sucker and can’t be bothered to discipline your heathen niece.” Cal said, making Pepper snort into her hand.

“Well come on,” Sharon clutched Sarah’s hand in her right and Morgan’s in her left before starting to lead their merry little band into the living room.

She was distantly aware that both girls were a little damp and raggedy looking.

“Sorry.” Pepper was telling Cal just before they stepped through to the living room. “They were playing in the sprinklers.”

Cal’s only response was a long-suffering sigh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sharon’s heart was pounding when they entered the living room. Both men looked like they hadn’t moved a muscle since Sharon had left them. 

But they both stood up immediately when they spotted the small group of women. 

“Sorry,” Sharon said drawing both girls forward. “She was playing across the street and it took a little convincing to get her home.”

Captain Rogers didn’t seem to be listening to her, however. He was only looking at Sarah. Who had seemingly lost most of her earlier bravado and was now clinging to Sharon and trying to disappear into her aunt’s skirts.

It was the moment that Sharon would think about for years. The look on his face as he stepped closer to them seemed saturated with a million different emotions.

Joy.

Relief.

Pain.

Confusion.

He let out a sound that sounded somewhere between a sob and a laugh and Sharon suddenly noticed his eyes were a little damp.

“She doesn’t look a lot like Peg, does she Buck?” He said, not taking his eyes off Sarah.

“No,” Sergeant Barnes, said smiling quietly. “That’s mostly you in there.”

He laughed again and then he wiped his nose with a sniffling sound. Sarah was still staring up at him. Blinking a little, every few seconds.

Sharon thought she was going to start crying any minute. Not because of Sarah and Steve, but because that one horrible moment when she’d heard Peggy was gone had come rushing back.

Beside her, Cal was already pressing her fingers to her mouth. And Morgan had retreated to be carried by her mother who was hanging back at the entrance to the living room.

“Aunt Shari,” Sarah’s small voice said suddenly, making them all jump a little.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“He’s reeeeally big.”

Captain Rogers immediately lowered himself to his haunches so he could be eye level with her.

“Better?” he asked.

“Little bit”, Sarah was smiling at him now.

“Do you- do you know who I am?” He seemed so heartbroken when he said that. It made Sharon wonder if _he_ even knew who he was.

“I tink so,” Sarah had evidently lost some of her shyness. She stepped forward and pressed one little hand to Captain Rogers’ cheek still holding Sharon’s hand. “Why’re you cryin’? Are you sad?”

“Um, no” Steve smiled. “I’m just really tired.” Sharon didn’t even think that was a lie.

She found herself lowering to the ground to match Steve’s stance. Sarah immediately hooked both arms around Sharon’s neck. 

“Honey, you know who this is,” Sharon said, softly, tucking some of Sarah’s blonde hair behind her ear. “We talked about this. You say good night to his picture every night.”

Sarah was nodding a little, but she also looked suddenly frightened. Sharon wondered if maybe this had been a mistake. Sarah was smart enough to understand this was a pretty weighty moment, but she was only four. This must be overwhelming for her.

Everyone was startled for the second time by the front door shutting. A moment later a smiling Harrison and Amanda were walking into the living room asking ‘what all the hub-bub was’ and ‘what was everyone doing congregated in the living room like this?’

It took them a moment to take in the scene. But when it dawned on Sharon’s parents what exactly they’d walked home to their expressions reflected the shock of the whole situation.

Harrison recovered first. “Hello, Captain Rogers.” He smiled cordially, slipping an arm around his stunned wife. “I see you’ve met your daughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this scene deserved its own chapter. The next one is going to be lighter in tone.


	5. Harrison and Amanda

Harrison and Amanda

Everyone in Haverford looked up to Sharon’s father. Sharon included. He’d been the reason she’d gone into nursing. When his brother and his wife had died he’d taken a rebellious Peggy in without question, even though Amanda had been reluctant. He was affectionate and compassionate in the wake of the tragedy.

Sharon’s mother was a harder sell, but Sharon suspected that was because she was more sensitive than she let on. She’d been fond of Peggy growing up, as hard as she’d found her to deal with sometimes, she’d eventually come to see her as a second daughter of sorts. She’d been hurt by the way Peggy had casually mentioned getting married and Sharon suspected she secretly blamed Captain Rogers for her death.

So when he stood to greet her parents she wasn’t surprised that Harrison reached out and gave Steve a very solid hug that the Captain returned a little awkwardly; while her mother hung back a little gripping her right wrist.

“It’s good to see you, Son” Harrison said drawing away and patting him on the arm. “Amanda and I are so sorry we weren’t here to meet you two.”

“Yes,” Amanda smiled tightly. “Very sorry.”

“And Sergeant Barnes.”

“Dr. Carter.”

Sharon blinked in surprise when Barnes and her father embraced each other in a laughing, back thumping hug that was more familiar than the one with Rogers.

“I’m glad you decided to accept our invitation.” Dr. Carter was still shaking a smiling Barnes’ hand. “It gives us a chance to look after you boys for a bit.”

“Well, you know me.” Barnes gave a suddenly clingy Sarah a small wink. “Can’t resist a pretty girl.”

Sharon found herself smiling a little along with everyone else, even Captain Rogers was looking a little less stoic.

“Well,” Dr. Carter looked around and grinned at everyone. “How about we all sit down to eat something? Cal I think we’ll have that lunch a little early today.”

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The pot pie had turned out delicious. Cal had even made small ham sandwiches to go along with them. Dr. Carter had insisted that everyone stay for lunch and they were all sitting in the big dining room. 

Morgan and Sarah were allowed to sit next to each on the condition that they sit in Pepper and Sharon’s laps and didn’t try to play with the silverware.

Steve was on Sharon’s right. He didn’t say much and mostly responded with quiet ‘Yes, Sirs’ and ‘No, Sirs.’

Barnes, by contrast, had made himself at home. He complimented Cal and even got Amanda to smile into her glass of water. He and Harrison were managing to somehow fill what would have been an uncomfortable silence with an easy camaraderie that seemed years old.

“I can’t believe how big Sarah’s gotten.” He was grinning across the table at a frowning Sarah who wasn’t enjoying attention from a stranger. “The last time I held her she was hardly the size of my arm.”

“She’d be bigger if she stopped playing with her food and actually ate some of it,” Harrison laughed.

“That’s right,” Sharon said suddenly. “Sarah was with you for a little while.”

“More like my Ma,” Barnes smiled. “But yeah I stayed home for a bit. Until your parents could come to get her.”

“How is your mother, James?” Amanda said, suddenly startling Sharon a little. She had obviously underestimated their familiarity.

“She’s good. She’s moved out to the West Side to live with my older sister Betty and her husband.”

There was a sudden shriek from Pepper. Morgan had tried to stuff some of the crust from the pot pie into her blouse.

“Okay,” Pepper said, standing up and clutching her daughter in a tight hold. “I think it’s time we went before Morgan shames me any more.”

She said polite goodbyes and thanked Cal while Sharon offered to see her out.

“What’s gonna happen next?” Pepper asked when they stepped out onto the front porch and the two girls were saying long dramatic goodbyes to one another a little ahead of them. “Is Captain Rogers planning on taking Sarah back to New York with him?”

Sharon let out a long slow breath. “I have no idea. Until a while ago we didn’t even know he was alive.”

Pepper shook her head a little. “I feel so sorry for him. I can’t imagine what he’s been through he looks like he’s barely keeping it together. How’s he planning on raising a little girl all alone?”

Sharon truthfully had no answer for her. All she knew was that she hated the thought of Sarah far away from them. She was Sharon’s last connection to Peggy. 

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a car with a beautiful red-head sticking her head out of it.

“You doing, okay Carter?” Nat Barton was shouting. “You weren’t looking too hot last night after all those drinks.”

“Nat!” Sharon hissed. “Stop yelling! You’re embarrassing me.”

“You clearly, don’t understand how much joy it gives me to do that,” Nat said slamming the car door shut behind them. “And there’s no way I could embarrass you as much as you embarrassed yourself last night. Hi, Pep!”

“Hello, and Goodbye,” Pepper said, hoisting her daughter into her arms. “I need to go home and see that my husband has made it out of the garage at some point and is in fact still alive. Say ‘bye’ to Sharon and Nat, Morgan.”

Sarah and Morgan waved morosely to each other as Pepper made her way across the street. Sharon took that moment of her distraction to quickly fill Nat in on what was going on.

“Wow,” Nat said eyes huge.

“What, wow?”

“Just wow,” Nat said. “Are they still here? Do I get to meet them?”

It was like they knew they were being talked about because Sharon heard the front door open behind her and Nat’s shocked expression quickly morphed into a smirk.

Sharon turned in time to see the two men step down the front steps with her father following behind them.

“Can you believe these two?” He was saying as they reached the two young women. “They said they’re staying at a _hotel in town_. We’re going to go over there now and get their bags. We’ve already made plans for them to board at Phil Coulson’s next door so I’ll be back in a little while. By the way Gents, this is Natasha my daughter’s best friend.”

“Hey, fellas.” Nat smiled.

“Ma’am,” Steve said, still tense.

“Ma’am.” Sergeant Barnes said, all smiles and easy-going charm.

_Oh boy._ Nat didn’t need competitions for the biggest flirt.

Both men gave Sarah a little wave that she responded to by grabbing at Sharon again. Sharon thought she saw a little bit of hurt in Steve’s eyes before all three men drove off in her Dad’s car.

“Want to come inside?” Sharon asked Nat. “Cal’s made dessert.”

“Yes, please.”

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Cal groaned when she saw Nat. “What’s the red tornado doing here?”

“She heard to made chocolate pudding for dessert,” Nat said sliding into the picnic table in the kitchen.

“You need better friends,” Cal told Sharon while she set a smaller bowl of chocolate pudding in front of Sarah and stroked her hair back. “Ones that don’t drink like sailors on shore leave.”

“Speaking of sailors” Nat said smiling, “Are we going to talk about those two dreamboats that just sailed into your house this morning.”

“Miss. Natasha, don’t you have a fiancé?”

Nat gave Cal her most winning smile. “I’m engaged, Cal. Not blind.”

Sharon snorted.

“I’m assuming tall, blonde and tense is the D-a-d.”

“Yep.”

“The other one’s the Godfather.”

“Yep” Sharon repeated.

Cal slid a big bowl of chocolate pudding infront of Nat.

“Eat this and shut up.” She said.

Nat only smiled happily and lifted a spoon from the stack of cutlery.

She had clearly won.

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Sharon hadn’t seen her mother since she’d come back in. She left the other three in the kitchen for a moment and went upstairs to find her sitting on the edge of her parents’ bed staring off into space.

“You okay, Mom?”

“I’m not too sure,” Amanda said, blinking at her daughter. “I never thought I’d ever meet Captain Rogers.”

Sharon sat down beside her and took her mother’s hand.

“He’s very handsome.” Amanda snarked making Sharon snort in surprise. “I was hoping he’d have been horribly disfigured in the war or something.”

“I don’t understand what your problem is with Steve anyway,” Sharon said soothingly and trying to suppress the grin on her face. “Peggy seemed like she was happy with him.”

“If she hadn’t met him she might still be here.”

Sharon stared at Amanda. “If she hadn’t met him,” she said slowly. “Then Sarah wouldn’t be here.”

“Darling, I know what you’re saying. The fact is we might lose Sarah anyway.” She gave Sharon a pointed look. “We’ve been communicating with Sergeant Barnes he’s been saying he thinks Steve would like to have Sarah with him. She is his daughter after all.”

Sharon stood up irritated all of a sudden and crossed to the door.

“What his friend thinks and what Steve thinks might be two entirely different things.” She and her mother locked eyes for a moment. “Have you and Dad even spoken to him about this?”

Amanda Carter gave her daughter a very hard look all of a sudden. “You’re far too idealistic sometimes. I suppose that’s the Carter in you.”

Sharon realized her mother didn’t mean it like a compliment.


	6. Steve & Sharon

When he looked back on his life Steve would wonder how he was still alive. Something always seemed to be trying to kill him.

He and Bucky had grown up in the same apartment building. Their mothers were friends and their fathers were drunks. While James Barnes Sr. had been a pathetic man who drank away the week’s paycheque, Grant Rogers had been the real monster.

Some of Steve’s earliest memories had been of hiding under the kitchen table while Sarah Rogers, mouth bloody, had screamed at Grant not to touch Steve. 

Once when Sarah had been out at work he’d pushed Steve into the coffee table so hard he’d split his head open.

When he came to his mother and Mrs Barnes were leaning over him, worriedly and his father was gone. He hadn’t asked what happened. It wasn’t the first time his father had hit him and it probably wouldn’t be the last. All he could do was reassure his mother that he was fine as the women led him back to his bedroom head throbbing and shoulder covered in dried blood.

He never forgot the look on his mother’s face. Sarah was thinking the same thing Steve had been thinking for some time.

The next time his father wasn’t going to _try_ to kill them.

It turned out there wasn’t going to be a next time. After the night of terror, Steve and Sarah had spent at home worrying when Grant would come back it was a policeman who showed up at their door.

His father was dead.

Apparently, he’d gone down to the local pub and after a few, too many drinks had started a fight with the wrong crowd. One of them had hit him in the head with an iron pipe.

When the policeman had gone his mother had clutched him and wept. Rocking together in a tearful heap on the floor Steve hoped things would be better for them.

And they were, for a little while. Sarah would work herself to the bone to pay the rent and feed him, but it wasn’t all that bad. He had Bucky to play with after school and the two of them would loiter on the front stoop every evening after school before their mothers came home from work. No looming threat of Grant Rogers’ violence.

Then one day when Steve was about eleven or so he fell ill. He’d got caught in the rain on his way home from school and was wheezing the next morning.

The next night was spent in a fevered delirium. He’d always been a bit of a sickly kid and pneumonia had come in swift and deadly.

He shivered in bed while his mother wiped his forehead and muttered every prayer she knew. He hallucinated his father coming to hit him and shouted at people who weren’t there.

Mrs Barnes called a friendly doctor who offered to look at Steve. He’d checked him over and said something very softly to Sarah that made her sob soundlessly.

What really made Steve realize he would die was on the third night or so Father Callahan had come to administer his last rites.

He vaguely remembered his mother sobbing in Mrs Barnes arms and feeling so horribly guilty that he was always making her cry. Bucky was sitting on the end of his bed, white-faced.

He didn’t remember much about that night. All he knew was that at one point Bucky had knelt beside him and begged him not to go.

The next morning he was still there.

His head ached, his clothes were damp from a cold sweat and he was even skinnier than he normally was…but he was alive.

His recovery was slow but he got better. Surprisingly, it was the neighbours who made things easier.

Mrs Barnes who’d always treated him like a son, now doted on him to the point of making Bucky’s eyes roll. Mr and Mrs Oliver upstairs were happy to let him sit out on their balcony and get warm in the sunshine. And almost every other day something appeared on their doorstep in brown paper packages. Bread, cheese and one time even a small sponge cake.

It may have been the Barnes on some occasions, but no one ever really admitted to doing those nice things. Hard as times were, someone wanted to look out for them.

Steve didn’t take that lightly. His neighborhood may have been a tough place where fathers drank and battered their wives and children, but there were things worth saving.

People worth protecting.

That was probably why he enlisted. All he knew was that he couldn’t sit passively while good men laid down their lives.

Somehow at the end of the war, he was still here.

When he’d woken up in the hospital months ago Bucky was sitting beside him a complete wreck. He was babbling that Peggy was gone and saying he had a little girl.

He’d never thought of himself with a daughter. How could he? He’d thought of a rough and tumble little fellow little better than himself or Buck when Peggy had confessed she was pregnant. What could he possibly have to offer a little girl?

_What could you offer any child really?_

He debated for days while he recovered about whether or not he should see her. From what Bucky had told him she was a perfectly happy normal little girl.

He wasn’t sure what his intentions were when he decided to accept Dr Carter’s invitation. All he knew was that aside from Bucky she was the only family he had left. He supposed, he was hoping to see something of Peggy.

It was a little bit of a shock, though not an entirely unpleasant one, when he realized she was like a little piece of him instead of her mother.

Small, blonde, and delicate. Staring at him and patting his cheek and blinking wide-eyed at him. It was Bucky who had named her Sarah. Taken her home to the rest of the Barnes and carried her around at night while she cried herself to sleep. Steve felt no small amount of bitterness at the thought.

But something had settled in his chest when he saw her. Relief, he supposed. She seemed nervous to see him, but obviously happy and healthy otherwise.

So happy she probably didn’t need him for anything.

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He’d barely slept that night at Phil Coulson’s. He woke the next morning and went hunting in his bag for the Teddy Bear Buck had convinced him to get her.

He debated waking Bucky while he changed into some casual clothes but ultimately decided against disturbing the blanket-covered lump of his best friend in the bed next to his. The two of them had been exhausted from the trip and had begged off dinner with the Carters the previous night.

Fortunately for him, Mr Coulson had a back entrance for the people who usually boarded with him, so he wasn’t going to need to run into the man. He gave himself a little pep talk while he strolled down to the Carter house; teddy bear clutched under one arm.

Amanda Carter answered the door when he rang the bell.

She seemed a little surprised to see him, but she said good morning and ushered him into the living.

“I was hoping I could see Sarah today.”

“Oh of course,” her eyes had widened slightly. “You don’t need to ask for that.” Steve had the impression that maybe he wasn’t her favorite person but she sounded pretty genuine just then.

She saw the teddy bear and smiled. “Is that for Sarah?”

“Um, yes. I was told little girls couldn’t have too many teddy bears.”

“Your daughter only has about a hundred, but I’m sure she can find it in her heart for one more.” She gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen. “Why don’t you join Sarah for breakfast? I’m afraid I have to step out early today. The good doctor and his favorite nurse are already at work, but the princess is always ready for a playmate.”

That last part was said with such affection that Steve couldn’t help feel a little choked up at the thought.

In the kitchen Sarah was sipping her glass of orange juice at the kitchen table and the housekeeper, Cal, was flipping pancakes. 

She smiled when she saw him. “Sarah,” she called to his daughter. “Say good morning to Captain Rogers.”

Sarah wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and said: “Good morning Cap’n Rogers.”

“Good morning,” Steve said smiling nervously back at her.

Amanda must’ve sensed his nerves because she called for Sarah to come to her.

“Your father has a present for you.” She said.

It made Steve jolt a little. It hadn’t escaped his notice that Sarah had called him Captain Rogers, but he wasn’t all that sure about being called her father either.

“A present?” Sarah said, happily. “For me?”

“Um, here.” Steve said holding out the fuzzy beige bear with a pink bow.

He watched her take it from him with a big toothy grin and cuddle it close to her chest.

“What do we say?” Cal prompted.

“Thank you.” Sarah replied in her still somewhat baby like voice. She was wearing pink overalls and a frilly white top. A soft pink bow in her hair. She was so damn precious. His mother would’ve loved her.

“Sarah sweetie,” Amanda continued. “Captain Rogers wanted me to ask if he could play with you today?”

“Sure!” Sarah said brightly, suitably bribed. “I’ll go upstairs and get my stuff!” 

Then she was putting her new teddy bear on the kitchen table and almost toppling Mrs Carter in her haste to run upstairs. 

“You’re sure you want to spend the day with her?” Amanda said wearily. “She has the energy of a small tornado. She _will_ wear you out.”

Steve laughed a little. “I feel compelled to apologise for some of that. I was a pretty hyper kid, too.”

Cal had brought him a stack of pancakes that he only just managed to finish before Sarah seemed to zoom back into the kitchen with an armful of art supplies.

“I’m ready to play!”

“Guess that’s my cue to leave”, Amanda chuckled, reaching down to smooth some of Sarah’s hair while she dumped all the paper and stationery beside Steve on the dining room table with a clatter.

She gave him a big-eyed smile. “Do you like to draw?”

The corner of Steve’s mouth twitched in a little smile. “I do actually.”

“I’m going to be back after lunch”, Steve heard Amanda tell Cal while Sarah slapped a big piece of paper in front of each of them. “See that the little troublemaker doesn’t destroy your kitchen.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Bye, Sarah.”

“Bye auntie ‘Manda!”  
  
And then Steve was mostly alone with his daughter. Well, mostly alone. Cal was busy cooking in the background while Sarah made a great show of thinking about what to draw.  
  


“What’re we drawing?”

“Ummm,” She tapped the pencil thoughtfully against her cheek before declaring. “I know! I’m gonna draw my new teddy bear!” The look of concentration on her face as she bent over her paper was nothing short of adorable.

In between Cal said she was going down to the store for a bit and that Sharon had said she’d be home soon.

Steve found himself smiling a little as his pen scratched over his own sheet of paper. How long had it been since he’d done this? A year? Longer? There was something settling about watching Sarah’s little golden head bent so intently over her work.

He felt more than saw himself start to draw. The picture taking shape. For a little while, there was nothing but the scratch of pencils on paper. Until…

“Hey!” Sarah was suddenly standing on the chair and bent over his right shoulder. “That’s me! And my teddy bear!”

It wasn’t his best, but it was a pretty good sketch of her clutching her bear to her little cheeks. The obvious delight on her face made him grin.

“Want to help me color? I’ve never colored with pastels before.”

“Uh-huh!”

They worked intently together for almost an hour, sharing the paper between them. He handling the bigger parts of the picture while Sarah coloured in her and the bear’s bows.

They were so engrossed in their work they almost wouldn’t have heard Sharon’s vehement curses as she came in through the kitchen door.

“Damn woman,” She was muttering, before noticing she had an audience.

“Captain Rogers!” She said, with a wide-eyed start, coat hanging halfway off her shoulders. “I had no idea you were-“

“Aunt Shari!” Sarah was standing on the chair with her little fists on her hips. “You know you’re not allowed to say that word!”

“Oh, really missy?” Sharon was narrowing her eyes at her niece but there was a playful tug to the corners of her mouth. “Should I tell Captain Rogers here what you and Morgan were saying last week?”

“No, ma’am!” Sarah gasped, immediately dropping back into her chair and Steve had to supress a laugh.

“I apologize for her upbringing,” Sharon said fixing Steve with a grin of her own. “I hope she’s been good this morning.”

“She was”, Steve found himself returning her smile. “I mean is. We’ve been doing some drawing.”

“Look Shari!” Sarah was suddenly climbing on the kitchen table, making Steve reach out both arms to steady her. “Cap’n Rogers drew this!”

She held out the mostly coloured sketch for Sharon to see and Steve felt something heat his cheeks. “Iss me,” Sarah said, proudly. “And my new teddy bear.”

“Oh wow. Look at that,” Sharon mused stepping closer. “It’s really beautiful.”

Compliments had always vaguely embarrassed Steve. 

Particularly when they came from beautiful blonde women.

_Wait…_

_what?_

“It’s Steve,” he said a little quickly causing their eyes to meet and hold for a moment. “Please”.

“Steve it is then” she gave him a very soft smile that made him feel like he’d gone a little sweaty. “You gonna be joining us for lunch Steve?”

“Um, I don’t see why not?”

“Great! Give me a minute and I’ll be right down.”

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Sharon had seen that particular style of drawing before. Peggy had mentioned something once about Steve being fond of sketching.

So after washing up in the bathroom and changing into a pair of wide blue trousers and a soft white blouse, she reached into her chest of drawers for a long-ish, beat up looking sketchbook. It was the only personal effect of Steve’s that Sergeant Barnes had been able to hand over. She hadn’t opened it at first, fully intending to keep it for Sarah when she was older.

But one night the past year she hadn’t been able to sleep and found herself reaching into the back of her drawer for it. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for as she opened it.

Landscapes?

Portraits?

Racy drawings of Peggy?

It turned out her embarrassment was premature. They were mostly portraits of other soldiers, clusters of flowers and yes, one of Peggy towards the end. Nothing racy about it though. She was sitting on a crate with a big smile on her face and a blanket thrown over her shoulders. Sharon marveled at how she managed to look beautiful while clearly being muddy and wet.

He’d probably be glad to have it back she thought as she made her way back to the kitchen.

Cal was setting mashed potatoes and chicken fillets down for them when she came in.

“Aunt Shari we were waiting for you,” Sarah said frowning.

Sharon held up the sketch-book so Steve could see, “Look familiar?”

“No way” Steve’s eyes widened and he immediately stood up to take it from her. “I can’t believe this. I haven’t seen this in years.”

Sharon shrugged, “Barnes had given it to us for Sarah. Sorry I never really got around to giving it to her. She was really little-“

“No, no. I thought I’d never see this again.” He ducked his head like he was embarrassed and seemed to smile at her from under his long lashes. “Thank you.”

Was it her imagination or had her skin started to feel a little warm from the look on his face?

“You’re welcome.” Sharon grinned back.

“Can I see?” Sarah was looking up at them expectantly.

“Maybe some other time kiddo”, Sharon said settling down beside Sarah. She suspected Steve wanted a little time to look inside himself.

Steve took a seat on Sarah’s left and put the book down beside him. “How about we get you your own instead?”

“Okie-Dokie, Cap’n Rogers,” Sarah said smiling at him.

“And you don’t need to call me Captain Rogers.” He said suddenly.

“Do I has ta call you, Dad?” Sarah’s eyes widened. “Like Mo’gan calls her dad, Dad?”

He seemed to mull that over for a moment. “You don’t _have_ to call me Dad. You could call me Steve. Like your aunt does.”

“Okay!” Sarah said holding a small hand out for Steve to shake and making the two adults laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some fun stuff in the next chapter!
> 
> Leave a comment or kudos! thanks to everyone reading and commenting <3


	7. An Evening with the Carters

Lunch mostly involved Sarah talking non-stop now that she was comfortable with Steve. For his part, Steve seemed happy to listen to her babbling. It was hard not to be fond of a big-hearted goofball like her.

“Has anyone seen Sergeant Barnes, today?” Sharon said suddenly. 

“Phil Coulson called earlier,” Cal said while rinsing a plate in the sink. “He said Mr. Barnes took the bus into town earlier and said for us not to wait for him. Should I set the dining room table for six people at dinner, Shari?”

“Seven, actually. Grayson’s going to join us for dinner tonight.” 

Steve looked up at her guiltily for a moment. “Buck and I wouldn’t want to put you guys out for every meal. Especially if you’ve got other guests over.”

“Dr. Carter would be insulted if you boys weren’t eating with us regularly”, Sharon watched, amused, as Cal slid a slice of pie before Steve that he unsuccessfully tried to refuse.

“What about you?” She said, smirking at Sharon. “still trying to fit into that wedding dress or you feel like some pie?”

“Pie, please,” Sharon said. “I can always ask Maggie to let it out a little.”

“I didn’t know you were getting married,” Steve said. “Congratulations.”

“I’m gonna be a flower girl,” Sarah, told Steve around a mouthful of pie. “I’m gonna wear a pretty dress.”

“I’m sure you’ll be a very pretty flower girl too.” He said, making Sarah smile.

“Thank you,” Sharon said to Steve. “Grayson’s looking forward to meeting you at dinner. Says he and Dad always feel outnumbered with so many women in this house.”

There was a clatter of Sarah dropping her fork into her empty dish. “Can I have s’ more pie?”

“No!” Cal and Sharon said at the same time, causing Sarah to pout immediately. 

“Take your plate to the sink,” Sharon said, serenely. “This isn’t a restaurant.”

Steve was hiding a smile, while Sarah hopped off her seat and did what she was told. “Thank you for lunch, Cal.” She said as she handed the plate to the housekeeper. 

“You’re welcome, baby” Cal said fondly. 

“Can I go play with my new teddy in the living room?” Sarah said when she came back to the table. 

“Go ahead,” Sharon said, while Steve handed her the bear. 

“Thank you for the bear and the drawing,” Sarah told Steve. “Will you come to play with me again?”

“Sure, anytime you want,” he said smiling. 

“Yay,” She said brightly. She waved bye to Sharon and the rest before leaving the kitchen. 

Cal made sure she was out of earshot before quickly cutting up two more slices of pie and bringing them over to Steve and Sharon. 

“It’s almost like she can read minds,” Sharon said conspiratorially to Steve. 

“I’m going to weigh 500 hundred pounds by the end of today,” Steve said, but Sharon noticed he still dug in enthusiastically. “Cal, this was incredible. I haven’t eaten like this in years.”

“Thank you.” She beamed at him. “I figured you boys would be glad for something nice after roughing it so long.”

Sharon watched him eat for a moment. His mouth, she noticed, was very pink. Almost as pink as the cherry pie filling. She had the sudden irrational thought that with those lips and eyelashes he was probably pretty enough to compete in the Ms. Haverford pageant. 

She swore she could hear Peggy let out a hearty guffaw somewhere the minute she finished that thought. It emboldened her to ask something she’d been thinking for a while now. 

“So, you got any plans for what to do next?”

“Honestly,” Steve sighed. “I’ve been thinking about that all night. I can’t keep living at Mr Coulson’s. And I think even if Buck goes back to his folks in New York I’ll want to stick around for a few months longer at least.” 

Sharon pushed the remnants of her pie around her plate “Do you want to take Sarah back to Brooklyn with you?”

“I have no idea. She’s so settled here. And you guys were- _are_ Peg’s family. I wouldn’t want to just uproot her like that, especially if it made her unhappy.”

Sharon tried to swallow past the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat at the mention of Peggy. “I wish she was still here.” She found herself admitting. 

“Yeah,” Steve’s voice was gruff when he replied. “I can’t believe I’m here without her.” 

Sharon thought the most heartbreaking thing for herself was losing Peggy. But now she wasn’t so sure. It occurred to her rather belatedly that Steve had lost his wife and Sarah her mother. And absolutely nothing would ever take her place. 

“Um, anyway,” Steve stood slowly, clearing his throat. “I think I’m gonna head over to Coulson’s and get cleaned up and unpacked. Cal, thanks so much again for lunch.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Rogers.” 

“We’ll see you at dinner Steve,” Sharon called as he waved goodbye at them from the kitchen door. 

And then it was just her and Cal and very pregnant silence. 

“That’s gotta be the saddest man on Earth,” Cal said very softly. 

“I know,” Sharon said. “I need to do something.” 

“You?” Cal’s eyes bugged out a little. “What’re you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe help him find a job? A more permanent place to live?” Sharon said absently. “Peggy would’ve wanted me to help him.”

“You gonna brush his hair and teeth for him, too?” She settled beside Sharon and placed a hand on her elbow. “You’ve already raised his daughter. And I don’t think this is the first rock that’s been thrown at him. You’re gonna need to curb these nursemaid tendencies of yours and realize you can’t fix a broken heart. He’s going to have to do that himself.”

“I know but-”

“No, buts”, Cal held up a hand. “Baby, you’ve got a good heart and I know you can’t resist taking in every wounded stray that crosses your path, but you’ve gotta leave this one alone.”

“Cal you saw how miserable he was. Today was the first time I’ve actually seen him smile.”

“See, he’s already doing better,” Cal stood, carrying Sharon’s empty plate with her to the sink. “You need to focus on that fiance of yours. You’ve been putting this wedding off so long I’m surprised Mr. Daniels still wants to marry you.” 

Sharon was suddenly grateful Cal had her back to her and couldn’t see the look on her face. 

_Why had she been putting this off so long, anyway?_

A million different reasons bounced around in her head. Everything from the war to Steve’s miraculous resurrection. But all that seemed pointless. Something else nagged at her, but she was finding it difficult to pin down. 

Some vast emptiness that had opened inside of her lately and felt like it would swallow her whole if she didn’t do something to fill it. 

“You heard me, Shari?” Call said, breaking into her thoughts. 

Sharon felt helpless to say anything but ‘yes’. 

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When Sharon opened the front door in the evening it was to her father, and Sergeant Barnes clutching a small bouquet of flowers. 

“I ran into James in town,” Dr. Carter said brightly. “He was just wandering around like a hobo.”

“A hobo who brought your mother some flowers,” Barnes said as Sharon led them into the living room. 

“Hey, uh? Can I ask you something?” he asked Sharon quietly when Harrison had excused himself to go wash up. 

“Everything okay, Sargeant Barnes?” She found he looked a little nervous.

“It’s James or Bucky,” he said. “Anyway, how’d Steve do today? Your Dad said he was over here most of the morning playing with Sarah.”

“Well _James,_ he did. He gave her a teddy bear and they did some drawing. I think Sarah enjoyed it.”

“But?”

“There’s no but,” Sharon said defensively. “Although-”

“Ah-hah!” Bucky said, causing Sharon to bristle. 

“He was very good with her,'' she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s just that he seems like he’s still pretty disoriented.” 

“No, shit” James said. “I’m just spit-balling here, but maybe it was the war and the whole coming back from the dead thing.”

“You two seem pretty well adjusted for a couple of vets.” Sharon said, “I’ve met a few at the hospital who didn’t walk away from that conflict so easily.”

“I wouldn’t say we walked away easily,” James said tilting his head at her. “We were always getting into scrapes when we were kids. Enlisting wasn’t that much of a stretch. What else were we going to do?”

Sharon looked at him for a long moment. “Where was he by the way?” 

“Who?” 

“Steve. When he was ‘dead’”, Sharon said patiently. 

“No idea.”

Sharon’s mouth twisted into a grimace, “You don’t wanna bullshit me, James. Sarah’s been our responsibility since she was a baby. I’d like to know that the man walking into her life right now is the same man Peggy was so in love with.” 

“You’re implying Steve’s not fit to look after her?”

“I didn’t imply any of that,” Sharon sighed. “I just…I feel like I need to know who he is and what he’s been upto.”

“Lady,” James said, shaking his head . “That’s the best guy that ever lived. Your cousin certainly thought so. And if you want to know where he’s been you can ask him yourself. But I’ll say this much: whatever damaged version of himself he is right now is certainly ten times the man most guys would be on a good day.” 

Any further conversation was interrupted by Dr and Mrs Carter. James was all smiles and harmless flirting and Sharon slunk away to the kitchen to help Cal,with a strange weight on her chest. 

In the kitchen Sarah was “helping” Cal with dinner by folding napkins in half. 

“Shari can you take some of this stuff out to the dining room when I’m done?” Cal said from the stove. “And let me know when your boyfriend is here. We’ll start serving then.”

“Is Steve going to be here?” Sarah asked from her perch on the kitchen table. 

“He will,” Sharon reached out and hefted Sarah onto her hip. “But maybe we should give him a call and let him know everyone else is here?” 

There was a phone fixed to the wall, by the kitchen door.Sharon dialled Phil’s landline and handed it to Sarah. “Why don’t you tell him you’re waiting on him?” She told Sarah, who nodded enthusiastically. 

“Hi, Steve!” Sarah said into the receiver a minute later making Sharon smile. “It’s me Sarah. Are you coming over now? Aunt Shari told me to tell you we’re all waiting for you!” There was a pause while Steve replied. 

“Mmmh! Cal made dinner. Do you like lasagna?” Sarah loved talking on the phone and Sharon watched her grow animated and strangely grown-up as the conversation went on.

“Okay, Steve”, Sarah said finally. “See you soon.”

She hung up the phone and slung both her arms around Sharon’s neck. “Aunt Shari can I ask you something?” 

“Sure,” Sharon said, making her way over to the kitchen table. “But Let me sit down first.You’re getting too big to carry.”

Sarah waited until she was sitting in Sharon’s lap facing her before asking. “Am I gonna come live with you after you get married?”

Sharon gave her a long look. “I don’t know, yet. Did someone tell you you were gonna come live with me?”

“I dunno I was just wondering,” Sarah said, holding up two little hands in imitation of adults she saw. “Am I gonna have to live with my Daddy?” 

Sarah referring to him as Daddy made Sharon wonder if she’d already warmed upto Steve enough to think of him that way. She didn’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing yet. 

“I have no idea, Sweetie,” Sharon said wearily. “I haven’t thought that far.”

“Well,” Sarah said, tugging on Sharon’s hair and seeming very Peggy-like in that moment. “Looks like you got lots to think about.”

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Grayson pulled up to the house just when she’d opened the front door for Steve and they waited for him to jog up to the porch.

“You’re late,” Sharon smiled when he reached her. “We’ve been waiting to start dinner.” 

“Sorry, doll,” He grinned, all dark hair and handsome features. “Business with Dad always takes forever.”

She was surprised when he gave her a quick but smacking kiss that made Steve shuffle with mild embarrassment to her left. 

Sharon pushed at his chest with a light laugh. “Grayson this is Steve,” She said pointedly. 

“Oh hey!” Grayson said, one arm still slung around her waist and holding out the other for Steve to shake. “Grayson Daniels. It’s good to finally meet you, Captain Rogers. You’ve been talked about pretty often the past few weeks.”

“Steve, please”, he responded, clearly still embarrassed. 

“Why don’t we go inside?” Sharon offered, slipping her hand into Grayson’s. “There a 4-year-old girl who’s excited to see you both.”

Sure enough, Sarah came bounding up to the three of them the moment they made it to the living room. “Hi, Grayson!” She said, grinning. “I was waitin’ for you and Steve! Cal says we gotta hurry up or we’re not getting dinner.” 

“Hi, sweetheart,” Grayson said fondly, letting Sarah grab both him and Steve by their hands and tug them into the dining room with an amused Sharon following behind. 

“We gots to eat now cuz everyone’s tummy is complainin’!” 

In the dining room her mother immediately greeted Steve with a surprising amount of warmth and reached out to give Grayson a quick hug. 

“Good of you gents to finally join us,” Harrison said as everyone took their seats. “I hope Phil Coulson’s being good to you boys.” He gestured at Steve and James with his glass of wine while Cal set out the lasagna for them. 

“He’s a nice guy,” James said, passing a napkin to Steve on his left. “Told me about a couple of job openings in town actually.”

“Really?” Harrison grinned. “Does this mean you boys are planning on sticking around for a little bit?”

Steve looked up at Harrison at that and Sharon found herself regarding him over the glass of wine she’d poured for herself. 

“I guess”, he said with a weak smile. “We don’t exactly have anywhere else to be in a hurry right now.”

“You know while we’re all here Sharon, dad and I were wondering if we could talk to you and Grayson about something.” Amanda said suddenly. 

“Oh?” Sharon said as Grayson draped an arm over the back of her chair. “Sounds serious.”

Her mother gave her a smile. “It’s not. We were thinking we’d like to throw you two a party. Nothing big, but...” she glanced at her husband for a second and smiled before linking her fingers with his. “I know you two aren’t the type to want a big party, but we’d like to celebrate our only daughter’s engagement.”

“Oooooh!” Sarah said clapping in her seat beside Steve. “A party!”

“Nothing massive of course”, Dr Carter held up a hand at Sharon’s attempt to protest. “But your mother and I thought this would be something we could celebrate with all our family and friends.”

“I don’t know Dad”, Sharon started, she gave Grayson a skeptical look. “I mean Gray and I haven’t exactly set a date yet and -“

“Come on Shar”, Grayson said smiling. “Your parents want to throw us a party. You can’t seriously be thinking of turning them down.”

“Yes. Thank you!” Amanda said smiling broadly. “Honey, you're our only daughter. Let us do this for you...for both of you.”

Sharon still had some misgivings, she wasn’t even sure what they were exactly, but looking at her parents’ eager faces she felt like she couldn’t say no.

“Alright”, she relented, causing Amanda to make a small victorious motion that made both James and Steve chuckle a little. “But nothing too fancy and we’re having it in our backyard.”

“Done!” Dr Carter agreed. “We’ll start inviting some people. They can meet Steve and James while we’re at it.”

Steve promptly choked on his lasagna at the same time James coughed and said “What?”

“You didn’t really think you boys weren’t invited were you?”

“Dr Carter,” Steve started. “There’s no need-“

“Nonsense!” He gave them both a mock annoyed look. “You boys are going to clean up nice, schmooze and tolerate the rest of the Carters and their extended circle like the rest of us.”

Sharon found herself grinning in the rim of her wineglass as her mother rolled her eyes.

“Us Carters can be a bit much I’ll allow but wait til you meet Amanda’s side of the family they’ll make us look normal.”

“Harrison!”

Amanda reached over and smacked him ineffectually making Sarah giggle.

“So what do you boys say?” Dr Carter said eagerly.

“Well that’s up to Steve I guess.” Bucky said, glancing at his friend.

Steve had a big smile on his face for once. It made him look younger and a lot more like Sarah than he usually did.

“Well I don’t think we can say no at this point”, he said. “But we’d like to help out if we can.”

“Yeah”, James offered. “We don’t mind helping you guys set up or with a few decorations or something. Do some of the heavy lifting if you guys need it.”

“This is working out even better than I expected”, Dr Carter said brightly. He raised his glass to his wife in a mock salute. “Told you we should’ve tried for a coupla boys while we still could.”

“Harrison!” 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sharon walked Grayson out to the porch after dinner was over.

“That was nice of your parents”, he said turning to her while holding both her hands. “And it was nice to meet Sarah’s father.”

“Hmm.”

“What hmmm?” He tugged her against him and kissed her forehead. “You okay? You seemed distracted at dinner.”

“Steve being here is making me think about Peggy, I guess.” Inside the Carters and Sarah were listening to one of her father’s records. And she found herself tucking her chin against Grayson’s shoulder hoping his warmth and scent would quiet whatever inner turmoil raged inside of her. “Those last few letters all she could talk about was him and I can’t stop thinking about how she never really got to know Sarah.”

“Sharon, I’m so sorry”, Grayson sighed. “All I’ve been thinking about is work and getting you to set a date. I should’ve realised Steve’s presence would open up old wounds.”

“They’re not wounds.” She clutched him tightly. “I just want so badly for Peggy to still be here.”

He kissed her shoulder this time, rocking her a little and for a little while Sharon did feel better.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Sharon came back inside after Grayson had gone Cal was putting on her coat to leave.

“Your dad’s having a drink with Barnes in his study and please try and get your mother to go to bed at a decent hour. She’s on the phone in the kitchen gabbing on to somebody about peonies.” She told Sharon. “And your dad told Sarah to show her Daddy her bedroom. So she’s upstairs right now. ”

Sharon gave Cal a warm smile. “They said they want to throw us an engagement party.”

“I heard. I’m already planning on desserts.”

“Chocolate cream pie?” Sharon asked.

“Whatever you want” Cal reached out and gave her a tight hug. “This might be the last few times I’ll get to make you all your favourites while you’re still a Carter.”

“Don’t be stupid” Sharon said. “I plan on poaching you the minute I say ‘I do’.”

Cal chuckled before drawing back. “I’ll see you folks in the morning.”

Sharon said good night to Cal before going upstairs. She could hear Sarah when she climbed the stairs. She sounded animated and over excited. 

“-and this bed used to be Aunt Shari’s.” she was saying when she opened the door. “So was dis room when she was little but it’s mine now.” 

Steve looked up from his perch beside Sarah on the edge of her bed. He looked almost gigantic and out of place in a girlie, frilly paradise.

“Hi.” he said 

“Hi,” Sharon smiled. “Sarah are you ready for bed?”

“Uh-huh,” she replied with a final bounce and turned to Steve. “I’m gonna say goodnight now so I can put on my pjs. But we can play some more tomorrow if you wanna. ” 

Steve bent a little to look her in the eyes. “I’d like that very much.” 

He drew back and rose from the bed. “Buck and I are gonna head out.” He told Sharon. “And I guess we’ll see you guys tomorrow morning around 7:30?” 

“Yep”, Sharon had agreed to drive them to breakfast and a couple of potential jobs. 

“Thank you, again.” He said, body halfway out the door, one big warm-looking hand braced on its frame. “You guys have been more than hospitable. Really.” There was a delightful pink tinge to his cheeks. Sharon wanted to reach out and pinch them. 

“You don’t need to keep thanking me,” She waved him off. “I’m happy to do it. Maybe Sarah can tag along if she wakes up early enough and we can have a little tour of the town.” 

  
  


“I’d like that,” he said. “Maybe I can pick up that art book I promised Sarah.”

“Yes!” Sarah had started bouncing a little, making both adults laugh. “I’ll be up Steve. Don’t worry!”

Steve let out a warm chuckle at that. “Well, good night ladies.”

“Good night Steve.” Sharon and Sarah called while the door slowly swung shut behind him. 

Once he was gone Sharon had Sarah change into her pajamas and tucked her into her bed. 

“Did you have fun today?” She asked, smoothing some hair out of Sarah’s face. 

“I did,” Sarah smiled. “I like my Daddy. I think he’s really nice.”

Sharon’s heart stuttered. “Are you already calling him Daddy?”

“But he is my ‘Daddy’”, Sarah frowned. “You told me he was.”

“No, of course”, Sharon said, suddenly embarrassed she reacted like this. “I just didn’t think you would become friends so fast is all.”

“He draws pretty pictures,” Sarah said around a big yawn. “They look so real.”

“They do, don’t they?” 

Sharon found her eyes raking over the little group of pictures on the low dresser beside Sarah’s bed. They stopped on the one of her and Peggy, posed out in the yard in their early teens. She wondered if Steve had seen it as well. 

“Aunt Shari?” Sarah sounded, half asleep. 

“Hmmm?” 

“Do you know any more stories about my Mama?” 

“I know lots, baby.” 

“Can you tell me some tomorrow? My eyes are closing.”

Sharon smiled and turned out the light. “Good night, baby.” 

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left comments and Kudos. I apologise for what is going to be a very slow burn. ;)


	8. Steve & Sharon part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a filler chapter. 
> 
> Sarah gets sick. 
> 
> Sharon has a few illicit thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Be kind! No! Be honest! New chapters coming soon.

_The little hole in the wall bar was crowded. Crawling with laughing servicemen and women._

_There was no way Sharon was going to find Peggy in this crowd._

_“There you are.” Sharon whipped around to find Steve smiling at her in the uniform he’d been wearing when they first met. The medals were so shiny even in the low light she thought they might blind her._

_“Where’s Peggy?” Sharon said. “Sarah’s fussy tonight”_

_Then the noise came out of nowhere._

_Tearing the roof off the bar and filling the air with agonised screams._

_Steve’s eyes were wide and a large red bloom had appeared over his heart._

_“Steve!”_

_Sharon found herself pressing both hands over his chest, but the blood poured between her fingers, staining her pretty white gloves._

“Steve!”

She jerked backwards and found she was lying in her own bed, weak sunlight filtering in through the window. 

_God, what a nightmare._

She had the strangest urge to see if Sarah was okay so she drew on a robe and crept to her room next door. 

She felt her breath leave her in a release of tension she didn’t even know she was holding when she saw her lying in her little bed, mouth slightly open, snoring inelegantly.

She pressed a finger to her own mouth to keep from laughing. 

_What a little goofball._

She closed the door quietly behind her and decided to go back to bed. It was still too early. 

She was walking past the window that overlooked Phil’s backyard and spotted Steve leaning against the big oak tree...smoking. 

Looks like she wasn’t the only one having trouble sleeping. 

She let herself out into the driveway beside Phil’s yard and gave Steve a little wave. 

He smiled at her as they both drew closer to the fence the Carters shared with Phil.

“You’re up early.” He said leaning both brawny arms on the wooden fence and Sharon watched a tiny curl of smoke rise into the air. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” Sharon said, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her big puffy robe. 

“Me neither,” Steve said, dropping the cigarette and stomping it out. “I can’t remember the last time I actually slept a full night.”

When he leaned heavily on the fence again Sharon noticed how tense his big shoulders appeared. 

“I had a nightmare,” Sharon found herself confessing. 

“Really?” Steve seemed genuinely concerned. “About what?”

“Can’t really remember,” Sharon covered quickly. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable confessing she’d been dreaming about him, saying his name in her sleep. “But it made me want to check on Sarah.”

“I keep looking for Peggy when I see her,” Steve said thoughtfully.

Those words sent a little jolt through her. She felt like she was looking for Peggy too sometimes. 

“There’s not much of a physical resemblance is there?,” She said, then smiled a little. “Does snore like her though.”

“Really?”

“Like a tiny drunk sailor.” She gave him a thoughtful look. “Want to see?”

Sarah was still sound asleep when she and Steve crept upstairs. Mouth still open and occasionally moving her arms and legs

“That’s impressive,” Steve said leaning against the frame after they’d cracked the door open a bit. “I can hear it all the way over here.” 

“You should try waking her up sometimes,” Sharon said as they quietly closed the door once more. “She gets so mad.” 

“Peggy used to get mad at me because I couldn’t sleep past 7,” Steve said as they made their way back to the kitchen.

“Yeah,” Sharon said wistfully. “She hated that about me too. So does your daughter by the way. She’s kicked me a couple of times.” 

Steve was chuckling when he put his hand on the doorknob. “She’s a good kid though right?” 

“Oh, the best,” Sharon said with a smile. 

“ _What_ are you two doing up so early?” 

The two of them jumped and found Cal squinting at them, the door leading from the living room swinging behind her. 

“Steve and I were just checking on Sarah.” Sharon said as Steve cracked open the door. 

“Mmmhmm,” Cal put her hands on her hips. “We’ll see you at breakfast Mr Rogers.” 

Steve looked terrified. He nodded jerkily at her and practically ran out the back door. 

Sharon had the distinct impression that she was in trouble when she looked back at Cal. “What was that all about?” 

Cal pinched the skin between her eyebrows. “Shari did you bring that boy upstairs while you were both in your pyjamas?” 

“So? ” 

Cal looked exasperated, “If you’re going to sneak boys upstairs it oughta be the one you say you’re going to marry.” 

“I don’t know what-.” 

Cal rolled her eyes. “It’s like you were born yesterday. Good lookin’ fellas like that are _always_ trouble.” She pointed at the door through which Steve had just left. 

“Steve’s family,” Sharon said defensively. “I’m not looking at him like that.” 

“Okay, fine,” Cal shrugged. “ _You_ don’t look at him like that. ‘Spose he starts looking at you like that?” 

“That’ll _never_ happen.” 

“Why not? His wife is gone. Pretty girl like you comes along. Looks after his daughter. Starts being nice to him. It’s a damn short walk, honey.” 

Sharon felt herself turn red with embarrassment in a way she hadn’t since Cal had scolded her when she was little. “He wouldn’t do that to Peggy.” 

“Honey,” Cal said, eyes soft even though she looked like she wanted to strangle her. “ _He_ wouldn’t be hurting anyone. I’m saying you’re the one with lots to lose. And he’s just a man, Sharon. A vulnerable one.” 

Sharon stared at her. Until Cal sighed a little and slung the dish towel she was holding over her shoulder. “Nevermind, then. Why don’t you get dressed and come start on breakfast? I’ll go wake Sarah in a little while.” 

She was taking eggs out of the refrigerator when Cal came downstairs with a worried look. 

“You need to go take Sarah’s temperature. I think she might be getting a cold or the flu or something.”

Sarah did turn out to have a temperature. She was uncomfortable and coughing a little when Sharon pressed a hand to her forehead. 

Looks like they weren’t going to town today. 

Her father came upstairs a few minutes later for a proper check up with his medical bag. 

“I’ll pick up a prescription for her when I go to work and bring it by at lunch,” He told Sharon, who was holding a listless Sarah tucked against her shoulder. “Doesn’t seem to be too bad a cold. Pepper said they’ve been playing in the sprinklers in her backyard.”

“Sarah,” Sharon sighed, exasperated. 

Her father chuckled. “She’ll be fine,” he reached out and smoothed a hand down her back. “Stay with her for now. She needs to rest and is one of those rare rather foolish individuals who aren’t afraid of Cal.”

Sarah could be a real baby when she was sick. She refused to let Sharon put her down. 

She was still trying to dislodge her when Steve came to the door after her father had gone. 

“Hi,” he said quietly. “Your Dad said Sarah wasn’t feeling too well”

“She’s fine. It’s just a cold. What’re you still doing here?” 

Steve shuffled nervously from one foot to another. “I kind of wanted to see if she was okay.”

Sharon felt a little embarrassed all of a sudden. 

_Of Course you moron. He wants to see if his daughter is okay._

“Do you need some help with her?” Steve offered. 

“You could hold her for a second,” she said, prompting Steve to walk more fully into the room and hold out his arms for Sarah. “She’s getting kinda heavy.”

She was a little surprised when Sarah went to him without protest. Clutching Steve tightly and burying her face in his neck. 

Steve looked surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered with a little smile. “She's so tiny,” he said almost to himself. 

“To a big guy like you maybe,” Sharon said moving past Steve so she could leave the room. “I’ll be up in a few minutes ,” She told him, closing the door behind her. 

It occurred to Steve that he hadn’t got to hold Sarah like this when she was a baby. “You okay, champ?”

She peered at him from her spot on his shoulder and clutched her tummy, “I think it’s mad at me, Steve.”

He kissed her forehead and breathed her in for a moment. She smelled like strawberries. “You feel like going back to bed?” 

“Uh-uh. I want to go play.” 

“Nurse Sharon’s not gonna like that.”

“We don’t hafta tell her.” 

Steve chuckled a little. “Want me to put you down?”

Sarah closed her eyes and rubbed one baby soft cheek against his shoulder. “Aunt Shari says I’m gettin’ too big to carry.” 

He smoothed one hand over the back of her head. “You’ll never get too big for me to carry.” 

She coughed a little again. “Can you read me a story?”

He tried sitting in the rocking chair with her and one of the picture books from the nearby shelf, but she got bored pretty quickly. 

“Aunt ‘Manda and I already did all these,” She tilted her head back to peer at him. “I want you to tell me a story _you_ know.” 

“Well, I don’t really know a lot of stories,” He confessed, rocking back and forth with her back against his chest. “I think I draw better pictures than I tell stories.”

“I’m gonna learn to draw like that someday,” her eyes were half closed but she still looked like she wanted to talk. “Did someone show you how to draw?”

He looked up at Sarah’s ceiling for a moment before reaching into his pocket for his wallet. 

“My mama did,” he pulled the small black and white photo from the worn wallet and let Sarah take it between her tiny fingers. “This is your Grandma. Her name’s Sarah.” 

“That’s my name, too.” Sarah said quietly. 

She couldn’t have been older than Sharon Carter in the photo. She’d been blonde and very pretty and was holding a chubby cheeked baby in her lap. 

Was this taken before or after his father had begun to hit her? 

How was he supposed to be a parent without his mother to tell him how?

His reverie was interrupted by a soft knock on the half open door. 

Sharon was standing there with a small smile and what looked like breakfast for Sarah. 

“Hey,” she said softly, letting herself in. “How’s she feeling?” 

Steve raised one hand to her forehead. “She’s still warm and a little clammy.” 

“Dad’ll bring some medicine for her at lunch.” Sharon said, placing a sandwich and glass of orange juice on Sarah's dresser. “I think she’s asleep.”

Sarah _had_ fallen asleep. Lips pursed and fingers slack on the photograph. So Steve stood as gingerly as possible with her and put her back in her bed. 

“What about her breakfast?” Steve asked as he stepped aside to let Sharon tuck her in. 

“She’ll manage that on her own.” 

“Really?” 

“She’s pretty independent that way.”

“Well I trust you,” Steve said as he followed her out the door. The statement caused her to glance over her shoulder and give him a little smile. “I mean between the two of us who’s the medical professional?” 

He found he was starting to babble. Her smiling at him like that had made him a little flustered for some reason and he immediately shut his mouth the rest of their short trip down the stairs. 

Her shiny blonde ponytail swung a little in his field of vision. 

Christ, what was it with these Carter girls? Did they _have_ to be this pretty? 

Bucky was tight. He was so hopeless.

But he really needed to stop thinking how goddam luminous Sharon Carter was at all times of day. 

“Cal is there any breakfast left for us?” Sharon asked when they walked into the kitchen. 

“I’ll get you two some pancakes,” Cal said. “Your mother took sergeant Barnes to town with her. Said he could carry her bags. I think she needs to pick up some things for the engagement.” 

Sharon groaned as they took their seats. “I told her not to make a big deal.” 

“Maybe I could help your Dad out with some stuff today,” Steve offered. “He said he wanted to bring some picnic tables out of the shed. I could drag them out after I’m done eating.” 

Cal tipped an extra pancake into his plate with a grin. “Good idea.” She said. Then turned to Sharon with a hand on her hip. “You need to invite your friends to your engagement . Sarah won’t be up for a while so you can start making calls.” 

They actually had a lot to do that morning, Sharon realised. 

After hanging up on her last few invites she realised she was going to need to go over to Grayson’s house and invite his family personally. 

Sarah had eaten most of the sandwich and drank all the orange juice before going right back to sleep. So she felt satisfied that she was feeling better. 

When she came downstairs Pepper and Nat were in the kitchen sipping on glasses of iced tea.

Sharon herself a glass of iced tea and went to join them. She had long since stopped asking them why they chose to come over unannounced. 

“I heard Sarah has a cold. How’s she doing?” Pepper asked. 

“She’s a champ.” Sharon said. “And Steve helped out a little.” 

“Really?” Nat raises an eyebrow. “That was fast.” 

“I think it’s sweet,” Pepper said. “Sarah deserves to atleast have her father around.”

“Shush you two! Steve’s coming inside.” 

Three heads turned in the direction of the door that had just opened. 

“Sharon I think I’ll need to make a trip to the hardware store because - Oh. Good morning, Ladies.”

“Hi Steve,” Pepper grinned while Nat gave him a little wave. 

“Thanks for lugging that stuff out onto the lawn,” Sharon said. “There’s some iced tea in the fridge.”

He grabbed a glass from the stand and pulled the heavy fridge door open. “Those tables are a wreck. I could try fixing them up myself.”

“We could put nice tablecloths on them and no one would notice.” Sharon suggested. 

Steve chuckled, already halfway through his glass of iced tea. “Your friends and family are gonna love getting splinters.”

“It can’t be that bad.” 

It turned out that it was _that_ bad. The paint was flaking off and termites seemed to have got into some of the legs. 

The girls and Steve were all standing outside pondering what could be salvaged when her father pulled up in the driveway with a small paper bag of medicines for Sarah. 

Steve and Sharon left Pepper and Nat with Dr Carter downstairs and went up to give Sarah her medicine. 

She was sitting up in bed clutching her tummy, hair sticking every which way when they opened her bedroom door. 

She gave them a wide eyed panicky look, “The grilled cheese is trying to swim out of my mouth!” 

She spent the next few minutes retching over the toilet bowl in her attached bathroom. Sharon rubbed her back and pushed her sweaty hair out of her face while Steve looked worried from the bathroom doorway. 

“Is she getting worse?” 

“No, it’s just the cold running it course.” Sharon assured him, carrying Sarah over to the sink so she could rinse out her mouth. only mildly surprised when she reached out for Steve the minute she was done spitting in the sink. 

“I feel yucky.” she complained burrowing her face into Steve’s neck and clutching him tight. 

“That’s what you get for playing in the sprinklers all summer.” Sharon said. 

“I wanna go play with Mo’gan!” she cried suddenly as Steve carried her back to her bed and set her down on the end while Sharon laid out a fresh pair of pajamas for her on her bed. 

“You’re not going anywhere until you’re better,” Steve said, kneeling in front of her and sounding surprisingly firm. 

“And you’re going to take this cough syrup,” Sharon said, popping the lid off the glass bottle they’d brought upstairs and pouring out a large spoonful. 

The minute Sarah saw the cough syrup Sharon knew they were in for a meltdown.

“I don’t want that!”Sarah shrieked, kicking and flailing. 

“Too bad,” Sharon bent beside Steve and held the spoon up to her mouth. “Now open wide.”

She was still pressing her mouth stubbornly shut, but Steve proved surprisingly deft by managing to pinch both her cheeks together with one hand so Sharon could spoon the cough syrup into her now open mouth. 

She made a great show of sputtering and coughing, but still swallowed the syrup. 

And still glared angrily at both of them when Sharon changed her pajamas and tucked her back into bed. 

“She’s pretty stubborn,” Steve commented when they shut her bedroom door behind them. 

“Her tantrums are legendary.”Sharon said as they made their way downstairs. “Still think she’s cute?”

“Absolutely,” The big beautiful smile on his face was not unlike the ones his daughter usually sported...when she wasn’t howling like a maniac. 

James and her mother were sitting in the now crowded kitchen with Dr Carter and Sharon’s friends when they came downstairs. 

There was some type of argument going on. 

What the hell!

Was her mother pouring wine for everyone?

“Not too much dear,” her father was telling her. “I have to go back to work.”

“What’s going on?” Sharon found herself asking. 

“We’re planning your engagement party,” Nat said, raising her own glass of wine for Amanda as Sharon and Steve took their seats. “Steve and James are gonna string lights across the backyard from the porch to that big ugly tree.” 

“We’re going to need some paint and sandpaper too.” Steve told his friend. 

Sharon felt her fingers scrabbling for an empty wine glass watching her mother pour her, then a protesting Steve, who she promptly ignored, a half glass of wine each. 

This was really happening. 

Sure, her and Grayson had been engaged for a while now, but this party was so...public. 

And why were her parents drinking before noon?

Cal ended up having to make snacks for everyone when the party planning got louder. Her father put his hat and coat on and kissed her mother in a very embarrassingly public way and went back to work. 

Sharon was a little worried the noise everyone was making would wake Sarah, but the cough syrup had knocked her out. 

More alarming was that they’d finished multiple bottles of wine. 

After lunch her mother went upstairs for a nap and the rest of them crowded on the back porch steps. Where Steve gamely passed around his pack of cigarettes. 

“How rich are you gonna be after you become Mrs. Daniels?” Nat said smirking at Sharon on the step below hers. 

“He’s not _that_ rich?” Sharon said defensively. 

“You’re shitting us, right? He _looks_ like he’s loaded,” James said leaning back on his palms and making Steve elbow him sharply. “If he ever took a walk through Brooklyn he’d have been mugged...probably by me and Steve.”

“That’s not the interesting question.” Pepper said, taking a long leisurely drag of her own cigarette while leaning against the balcony rails. 

Everyone turned to look at her. 

Nat raised one eyebrow. “What’s the interesting question?”

“How good is he in bed?”

“Pepper!” Sharon turned red making everyone else laugh. Including Steve, who snorted a little into his own hand. 

“Well?” Pepper continued, grinning. “How is he?”

“Jesus Christ,” Sharon muttered, making James and Nat let out some unruly hoots.

“Okay, okay,” Steve held up one hand to placate the others. “We’re all a little drunk. Let’s leave her alone.” But he was still grinning a little himself. 

“Go home, Pepper,” Sharon said, tersely. “Sleep it off.”

“You are no fun,” Pepper pouted, stomping out the butt of her cigarette and hopping off the porch. 

“I’ll see you kids Saturday.” She called from her way down the drive. “I hope Sarah feels better.” 

“Okay! Whose idea was the wine?” Sharon hissed when she was out of earshot. 

James and Nat immediately pointed at each other. 

“Okay, fine,” James admitted. “The first bottle was my idea. But Red here brought out the next one.” 

“Hey! You’re the one who said we needed to live a little.” Nat squeaked at him. 

What proceeded was a petty argument between the two that was giving Sharon a headache. 

She stood and brushed herself off. She needed to check on Sarah anyway. 

Steve stood too when he saw her get up. “Mind if I come upstairs, too?” 

“You can help me restrain her. I need to take her temperature and she really hates that.” 

The warm weather and multiple glasses of wine were making them feel flushed and sluggish. 

Sarah didn’t fuss too much when Sharon took her temperature. Which was, thankfully lower than it had been in the morning. 

“She should be okay by Saturday,” she told Steve as they walked down the stairs. “Because if Morgan’s going to. Be here there’s no way we’d ever get her to-”

It was probably the multiple glasses of wine she’d had. One minute she was walking and the next she was scrabbling for proper grip on the banister so she wouldn’t go tumbling down the stairs. 

She definitely would’ve broken something if Steve hadn’t snagged her around the waist and pulled her back. 

“Shit,” he breathed, stirring the tiny hairs on her nape. “That was close.”

Sharon laughed nervously and patted his hand that had a near bruising grip on her waist. “Nice catch.” 

They were both breathing hard. She could feel the solid strength of his chest against her back. 

Unbidden the thought came to her that he didn’t feel against her the way Grayson did. Grayson fit against her like something sturdy and familiar. 

Steve felt foreign and...towering and...not entirely unpleasant. 

_Oh no no no no no!_

She found she was squeezing her eyes shut as he slowly released her and asked if she was okay. 

She nodded jerkily as they made their way to the back porch where James and Nat were still arguing. 

Later while getting changed for bed she’d find tiny indelible marks left by the grip of his fingers. 

She stared at them for a long time in the full-length mirror that night. 

He hadn’t left those marks intentionally and Sharon suspected he’d be horrified to know he’d left them at all. 

She tried to stop thinking about him when she went to bed. 

But it was like she couldn’t stop the memory, the _feeling_ of having him pressed up against her like that. 

_Jesus Fucking Christ!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sharon's starting to get cold feet. 
> 
> I am going to veer a little from the usual 1940s Steve in the MCU. 
> 
> His personality is going to be the same, but he's not going to be the kind of guy who isn't able to tell when a woman wants him.


	9. Steve & Sharon part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Sharon have a heart to heart.

Sarah was feeling better the next day so Sharon decided she could do her usual morning stint at her Dad’s office. 

If she missed a morning at Dr. Carter’s office there was usually a mess to clean up the next day. She spent it returning all his files to their drawers and helping patch up every injured or ill Haverford resident who came in. 

It wasn’t the best morning. She’d woken up early like she usually did but this time she was cranky and antsy. For reasons, she couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

Then Grayson showed up at lunchtime with a bouquet of roses and a puppy-dog look on his face. 

“What’s this for?” Sharon said, taking them from him with a smile. “I mean not that I don’t like them but…”

“I feel like we haven’t spent a lot of time together lately,” he explained. “I was hoping these would bribe you into letting me take you to dinner tonight.”

Sharon felt a little tension ease out of her shoulders. Some time out of her house would probably help. 

“Of course,” she said, bending to sniff the roses. “I’d love to.”

She didn’t have to worry about Sarah being by herself in the evening for once. Steve had offered to keep her entertained and James had gone off with Nat and Bruce somewhere, of all things. 

It gave Sharon a chance to have a leisurely soak in her tub and pull out her favorite yellow sundress to wear to dinner. 

She took her time putting on makeup and a dainty pair of dangly gold earrings. 

Her mother practically tossed her out of the house right then when she told her she was going to dinner with Grayson that evening. 

“How’s Sarah feeling?” Grayson asked when they were waiting for their drinks at a fancy french restaurant a couple of towns over. 

“She’s a lot better,” Sharon said. “Steve was a big help.” 

“Well, that’s good right?” Grayson smiled.

Sharon’s brows furrowed. “Did I make it sound like it wasn’t?”

“Kind of,” he teased. “You sound like you’re jealous.”

Sharon found herself smiling a little sadly. “I think she likes him better than me.”

“Baby, come on” Grayson reached out a hand which she took immediately. “I know you two are close but I don’t see how this is a bad thing.”

“It isn’t. I just feel like things just took a weird turn suddenly. I’ve just been feeling so strange.”

Grayson looked at her for a long moment. “We just got done with war and your cousin’s husband came back from the dead. You get to feel as strange as you want.”

The dinner was lovely. They lingered over the second round of drinks and parked a little far from Sharon’s front door for a proper good night kiss. 

Sharon felt oddly energized when he kissed her this time. 

_ What did I even need to think about Steve for when I have Grayson. _   


A thought she regretted the minute she had it. 

“We’ve got lots to look forward to you know?” he said drawing her forehead against his. 

“Like what?” 

“The engagement party,” he grinned. “Our wedding, the wedding  _ night…” _

Sharon took his chin in her hands and drew his mouth down to hers for another kiss at that statement. 

“Who says we have to wait ‘til then to have a night together?” She found herself whispering against his mouth. 

“Really?” Grayson looked surprised but not uninterested. “I didn’t think you’d want to-” 

“Why wouldn’t I want to?” Sharon found herself drawing back in surprise. 

“Hey,” Grayson’s arm tightened on her back, but the uneasy feeling that had abated somewhat during dinner had taken back residence in her chest again. “I just meant that you haven’t exactly-”

“Haven’t exactly what, Grayson?” she’d pulled away sharply now. “Just because I haven’t hopped into bed with you doesn’t mean I don’t want you.” 

“Jeez Sharon, take it easy,” he was running a hand up and down her arm now. “I’m not trying to pressure you. I’m just saying you haven’t been that type of girl.”

“And what type of girl is that exactly?” She was aware she was looking for a fight, but she just couldn’t seem to stop herself. 

“I don’t know!” Grayson had turned a desperate shade of red. “I-I always felt like things like this weren’t your thing. I mean you’re a nice girl- Hey! Where are you going?”

She’d pulled open the passenger door by then and had slammed it shut behind her. She was already at the front door of her house when Grayson pulled up to the Carters’ home. 

“Sharon!” he hissed from the car. “For God’s sake just come back here! Let’s just talk about this!”

Sharon’s only response to that was to slam the door shut behind her. She heard him drive away a minute later.  


“Aunt Shari!” Sarah was standing in the foyer in her pajamas, much  _ much  _ past her bedtime. “You’re back! I’ve been waiting for you. You look so pretty!” 

Steve followed close behind a moment later. “Hi. Did you have a good time-”

“Why is Sarah still up?” she said, shortly. 

Steve looked contrite. “That’s my fault. But I figured she’d slept all day yesterday and-”

“And what, Steve?” Sharon said scooping a now glassy-eyed Sarah into her arms. “You thought she could stay up as late as she wanted to just because she batted her eyelashes at you. She had a temperature all day yesterday!”

“Hey!” The look on Steve’s face was surprisingly mutinous. “If I thought she was getting even a little bit sick-”

“How would you even know!” Sharon said. “You’ve been here five minutes.” 

Sharon saw the exact moment she’d wounded him. He flinched, like she’d hit him, shoulders drooping and mouth opening slightly like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

She felt the fight leave her a moment later. 

_ Oh my God. What am I doing? _

“Aunt Shari,” Sarah said in a small voice startling them both out of their staredown. “Don’t be mad, okay? I’ll go to bed now.” 

Steve was gone after she tucked Sarah in. But her father was waiting outside Sarah’s room with a less than pleased look on his face. 

“I’d like to have a word with you in my office.” 

The only time her father had called her into his office like this was when she was about to be punished or lectured. 

This time however he motioned for her to sit down and poured them both about two fingers of his scotch. 

She took the glass from him with only the mildest amount of surprise. 

“You’re going to apologize to Steve tomorrow,” he said leaning against his desk with a sigh. “And when it comes to Sarah he’s the one who gets to make the decisions from now on.” 

“I might’ve overreacted a smidge,” Sharon began quietly. 

“Really?” her father had a small grin on his face now. “I think the whole neighborhood heard you come stomping up to the house tonight.” 

Sharon sipped her scotch with a slightly guilty look. “You heard that?”

Dr. Carter nodded. “You two lovebirds okay?” 

“I’ve just been on edge lately.” 

“You still want to marry him?” 

“What?” Sharon sat up straighter. “Of course I do. I love him.”

“Okay. Okay,” Harrison held up one hand. “I’m just saying if the thought of getting married is making you loopy you could put it off for a bit...go to medical school like I’d suggested, replace your old man when he wants to retire.” 

Sharon narrowed her eyes at him, slightly amused. “I’m perfectly happy being a nurse Daddy.”

“Maybe, Sarah wants to be a doctor,” he said thoughtfully. 

“Didn’t you _ just  _ say we need to let Steve make all the big decisions about her?” 

Her father chuckled. “You’re probably right. We’d have to change the sign outside to Dr. Rogers anyway so what would be the point?” 

“I keep forgetting her last name’s Rogers.” Sharon chuckled. 

“And she's an Irish Catholic in a town full of Baptists,” Her father grinned. 

Sharon groaned and tipped the rest of the scotch back. “Oh God, I do need to apologize to Steve, don’t I?” 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah didn’t kick her when she woke her up the next morning. She did, however, want to know if Sharon was still mad at her. 

“I’m not mad at you,” Sharon said, helping her get dressed. “I just lost my temper for a second.” 

“Are you mad at Steve?” Sarah’s eyes were big and blue and reminded her somewhat sharply of the hurt look in Steve’s eyes the night before. “I wanted to stay up for you.” 

“I know you did,” Sharon bent and squished both of Sarah’s cheeks between her palms. “And if Steve says something’s okay next time, then it’s okay. Coz he’s the boss, now.”

“I thought you were the boss?” Sarah said. “You and Cal and uncle Harry and Auntie ‘Manda.” 

“Steve is your Dad,” Sharon said. “That’s more important.”

“So I gots to do what he says now?”

“Yes.”

Sarah let out an exhausted sigh. “ Why do I gots so many people tellin’ me what to do?”

Sharon had to laugh. “You’re just lucky I guess.” 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What do you mean Steve and James aren’t at Phil’s?” 

“Well, apparently the Red Tornado found ‘em a job looking after the apt building her brother owns. The one with the garage downstairs. He’s gonna let them stay there, too.”

“Huh,” Sharon frowned, taking one of the cookies Cal had just offered her. “That was smart. I wish I’d thought of that.” 

“Your Daddy drove them over this morning. He wanted to see if the place was liveable.” 

When Sharon pulled up at Clint’s building she spotted her Dad’s car and realised he was still there. She waited a few minutes and four men came out the side entrance. 

Clint Barton spotted her getting out of the car from across the street and waved. 

“Hey kiddo,” He said as she drew closer to the four of them. “What’re you doing getting engaged? You’ve gotta be about 10 years old.” 

“How’s Laura doing Clint? Baby’s due any day now.” 

“She’s good.” Clint said, “I’ve already warned your Dad that you guys are going to get a call in the middle of the night.”

“Clint was nice enough to let the boys live here for a bit,” her Dad said, shifting his coat on his arm. He patted Clint on the back. “Place looks good. It’s got a yard so Sarah can have someplace to play when she’s around.” 

The mention of Sarah made Sharon look at Steve. Her father and James were talking to Clint about something but Steve was looking anywhere except at her. 

“Cal said you boys left without having breakfast,” she said clearing her throat. “We could get breakfast at the diner.” 

“Good idea!” her father  says, too brightly and grasps both Clint and James by the arms, star ting to push them bodily towards his car. “I’ll take these two. Steve can come with you.”

“So,” She turned back to Steve with an apologetic look. “How about it?”

He sighed and made an ‘after-you’ gesture in the general direction of his car. 

It’s unbearably awkward as they drive across town with both of them staring straight ahead not saying much. 

“I’m sorry,” Sharon says jumping in. “It was not my place to talk to you like that last night. I was soooo mad though. Not at you! Just mad in general-”

“Why are you sorry?” 

“Eh?” Sharon glanced at him with an almost comical expression. “Because I was a jackass.”

“You’re not a jackass,” Steve rolls his eyes and looks out the window. “You were right. I barely know her. I barely know what I’m doing. I wasn’t even there when she was born.”

“Well, I wasn’t there either,” Sharon went on sheepishly. “And it’s not your fault you weren’t around.”

“It kind of was.”

“You're going to have to explain that to me.” 

“I crashed that plane on purpose.”

Sharon almost veered off the road and Steve had to grasp the dash to keep his balance. “What the hell!”

“On purpose!?” 

“Yeah. Not unlike what you seem to be trying to do with this car!” Steve shouted. “Jesus Christ pull over!” 

So she did and turned to him with a withering look. “Start talking.” 

“There’s not much I can tell you.” 

“What’s that mean?”

“It means I was doing some stuff for Uncle Sam that wasn’t exactly above board.”

Sharon blinked at him, suddenly putting two and two together. “You were a spy.”

Steve nodded, not looking at her while he did. 

“Oh my God! This is why we never found out Peggy was pregnant until Sarah was actually born. She was involved in this stuff too.”

“It’s how we met,” Steve went on. “We were both recruited by this shadow organization called the SSR. Peggy had actually been in longer than me. I don’t have to tell you how smart and capable she was. The plane thing was actually her idea. I didn’t want to leave her. But I respected her too much to not do something I knew in my bones would help turn the war in our favour.” 

Sharon felt all the air leave her lungs. “She told me you met at this club.” 

“The Stork Club,” Steve nodded. “We used to like to go dancing there. It wasn’t all a lie.”   


“But she lied every time she wrote me a letter,” Sharon said. “She made it sound like the war was some kind of adventure.” 

“She hated lying in those letters,”Steve said gently. “You and your parents were all she talked about. And she was trying to protect you. She knew you wanted to enlist and the SSR was actually already trying to recruit  _ you.”  _

Sharon gaped at him. “I never even mentioned that to anyone other than Peggy.” 

“They’re a forward-thinking organization. They’ve got their ways of identifying people they feel are going to be useful to their cause.” 

She gave him a long look. “Are you still working for these people?” 

Steve shook his head. “No I got out. But the war just ended and a lot of the stuff we were involved in is still active. I can’t talk to anyone until I get word from a few friends that it's done and dusted for good.”

“This sounds dangerous.” 

“It is,” Steve smiled sadly. “But Peg and I knew what we were doing. We understood each other. But a lot of the really risky stuff we tried was so we could end the fight. So we could go home. We knew there might be a cost.”

Sharon suddenly felt brave enough to ask something she’d wanted to know for a long time. “Why did you two get married all of a sudden? I mean she wasn’t pregnant when you guys got married. I did the math.” 

Steve turned a very bright shade of red. “Anyone ever tell you you’re really fucking blunt.” 

“Once or twice,” Sharon said. “Come on. Because I know Peg she’s not the fall in love and gets swept away in the moment kind of girl.”

“That’s because I’m ‘the fall in love and get swept away in the moment kind of girl,” Steve admitted with a little laugh. “I’m an idiotic romantic. I knew when I met her that I had to cherish every moment I could get. I begged her to marry me because she was the bravest person I ever met and I thought-”

“That you could protect her,” Sharon finished. 

“It was stupid of me.Peggy didn’t need me to look after her. Heck, if anything she was looking after me. I wasn’t thrilled when I found I’d gotten her pregnant,” Steve said, with a visible wince. “It was seriously the wrong time. The worst time. I tried convincing her to go home to you guys, but she stayed. We’d have been lost without her in those days during that op.”

Sharon had buried her face in her hands by this point. 

“I’m so sorry, Sharon.” 

She laughed a little, mirthless and hollow. “Steve this is such a mess. I just wanted to apologise now you’re telling me my cousin was a spy that  _ you  _ were a spy.” 

He looked straight ahead, “What kind of world would Sarah have grown up in if we hadn’t done what we did?” 

Xxxxxxxxxcxcccxxxccxxxx

Sharon usually enjoyed her egg and hash browns at Cole’s diner near her Dad’s office. She couldn’t just sit and eat this time though. Steve kept trying to smile reassuringly at her,but Sharon felt like she understood him even less and by extension Peggy. 

“It’s Sarah’s birthday at the end of Summer,” her father said suddenly. “We were planning on making it a weekend away at the beach. Amanda’s mother moved close to the water a couple of years back and we can rent a beach house for all of us.” 

“Sounds like fun,” James was grinning. “The last time Steve and I were even close to the beach was Coney Island in ‘39. Remember that, Stevie?” 

“I remember you made me ride the Cyclone. Then ditched me while I was puking in a garbage can...for a redhead!” 

“Speaking of red heads,” Clint said to Sharon, “Please tell your best friend that I am not naming my latest kid Natasha.” 

Sharon smiled. “I think baby Nat sounds cute.” 

“Then name  _ your _ kid after her,” Clint argued. 

“You don’t really know what to name a child until you get a good look at them,” Dr Carter said, with a smile. 

“Which one of you named Sarah?” Steve asked softly. 

“I did,” James said, raising his coffee to his mouth. “She  _ looked  _ like a ‘Sarah’.”

“Her middle name is the same as Peggy’s” Sharon offered. “She was a good baby. Didn’t cry much.” 

“Whereas Sharon here cried all the time,” Dr Carter said, making his daughter let out an indignant little squeak. “I used to have to put her in the car and drive her around in the middle of the night until she knocked herself out.”

“Don’t worry,” Sharon said dryly. “You’ll be rid of me soon enough.” 

“ _ That  _ I am not looking forward to,” Dr Carter said. He nudged Steve. “Cherish these moments with your daughter. She’s in that cute phase where she acts like you hung the moon and only wants to play with her toys. Next thing you know they’re chasing boys and drinking your liquor when they think you’re not looking.” 

“You poured me that scotch last night.” 

“I’m referring to you getting into my liquor cabinet when you were in high school, Dear.”

Sharon gasped. “You knew about that?” 

“Of course I did. You could barely stand.” 

“It was Peggy’s idea!” 

“Of course it was. But Peggy would never do the actual dirty work and get caught.” He pointed at his daughter with a bit of his pancakes. “Not a lot of things good fathers don’t know about their daughters.”

Something about the fond way he said that made Steve smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Sharon came home in the evening from a shift at the hospital Steve was standing out on the porch with Sarah on his hip.

Sharon had to admit they made a very pretty picture together. 

_ Like a golden retriever and its puppy _ . 

Sarah reached for her almost immediately. Wrapping herself around Sharon and burrowing into her neck in a way she hadn’t since she was a baby. 

Sharon had to cuddle her back. “Someone’s huggy today.” 

“Cal’s started on dinner,” Steve said, holding the door open to let them in. “Your Dad was home for a little while, but he had to run out on a call.” 

“Everything okay?”

“I think one of your neighbors had a fall. He went over to patch them up. He said not to wait for dinner.” 

Sharon’s mother wasn’t home either. She was having dinner at a friend’s so it was just her and the boys and Sarah for dinner. 

Cal told her that Grayson had been calling a few times during the day to talk to her and Sharon made a mental note to call him after dinner. That fight was totally on her. 

God, what had she even been so mad about? 

They ate in the kitchen since it was just the four of them. For dessert Cal brought out a chocolate cream pie that made Steve and James’ eyes bug out. 

“This is Miss Shari’s favourite,” Cal said, sectioning it off into large slices. “I was thinking of making a few for Saturday. Sit yo’ self down!” She scolded Sarah who had stood up on the table and held out her plate like an overeager seal. 

Cal slid the first two slices into the boys’ plates and Sharon realised that sitting across from Steve had been a huge,  _ huge  _ mistake. 

“Oh my God,” he growled, stupidly pretty eyelashes fluttering shut, after the first bite. “I can’t even remember my own name.” 

Sharon couldn’t remember  _ hers.  _

It wasn’t that he was doing it on purpose but watching him eat was so… She struggled for the right word. 

_ Sexy _ .  _ The word you’re looking for is sexy.  _

Clearly she was losing her mind. 

Oh God! 

Was she even eating ? 

Or just staring at him like an idiot?! 

The phone attached to the kitchen wall rang suddenly (thankfully).

Sharon practically bolted for it. Anything to distract her from what she was thinking about. “Hello?” 

“Sharon, it’s Nat!” 

“Oh hey, what’s going-” 

“Laura’s having the baby!”

Sharon’s hands suddenly felt very cold. “How long has she been in labor?”

Steve saw Sharon ask her friend a few more questions and hang up the phone. 

“Cal can you get Dad’s other bag?” she said. “Laura’s in labour.” 

Steve found himself setting down his fork when she said that. “Is she okay?” 

Her eyes were wide and a little frightened. “I don’t know. I think she might need to go to the hospital.” 

Cal came back in with her father’s extra medical bag. “I tried calling Dr. Carter at Mrs. Morley’s. She’s hurt pretty bad and they think she’s about to pass. He’s not going to be able to leave there any time soon.” 

“Okay, I’m coming with you,” Steve said, wiping his mouth and standing up. 

Nat was waiting anxiously on the back porch when they got there. “Where’s your, Dad?” 

“He’s dealing with an accident,” Sharon explained as Nat led them through the kitchen into the living room where Laura was lying on the couch, panting and sweating while Clint tried to wipe the sweat from her brow. 

Her face immediately broke into a relieved smile when she saw Sharon. “Thank God, you’re here!” Laura said reaching over the back of the couch and clutching her hand. 

And then, Sharon suspected, probably because she was understandably nervous and hysterical when she spotted Steve behind Sharon: “Wow! Who’s the movie star?” 

Steve turned so red he looked like he was going to burst like an overripe tomato. Sharon couldn’t help rolling her eyes and jogged around the couch to sit at Laura’s feet. 

“I need to see what’s going on,” she said, going to lift Laura’s dress. 

“Laura this is, Steve” Clint went on jovially, like a baby wasn’t trying to shoot out of his wife, probably because they’d already done this twice before. “He’s our new super. I was just telling you about him, remember?” 

“Ofcourse, It’s nice to meet you Steve.” 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs Barton. Kind of wish it was under better circumstances.” He was being very polite and standing as far away from where Sharon was looking. 

“Please, call me Laura.” 

“Hey dumbass,” Nat said, leaning over the couch to smirk at her brother. “I think you left out the part about him being Sarah’s father.” 

“What! This is  _ that  _ Steve,” Laura’s eyes bugged out. “Clint, you and your sister are the worst, you never tell me anything!”

“Alright that’s enough small talk,” Sharon said, lowering Laura’s dress irritably. From the look on her face she wasn’t at all happy. “It’s too late to go to the hospital.” 

“Huh?” Clint and Nat said together. 

“I said it’s too late,” Sharon said, “This baby’s going to be here in less than an hour.” 

“What?” Laura squeaked. 

Sharon stood up and made for the kitchen, snagging Steve’s shirt sleeve and dragging him with her. “Give me a minute. I’m going to wash my hands.” She called before the door swung shut behind her, 

“Is she going to be okay?” Steve asked and as Sharon started to soap up her hands to the elbows in the kitchen sink. 

A thin squeal emanated in response to his question. 

“I don’t know,” Shaon groaned, rinsing off her hands. “But this baby is happening, now.” 

She made for the door but Steve stood in her way, stopping her short. 

“Hey,” He said holding one hand up, blue eyes luminous. “Can you do this? I mean have you delivered a baby before.” 

“I’m a nurse, Steve.” 

“Right,right!” Steve shut his eyes tightly and the embarrassment on his face would’ve been adorable if Sharon wasn’t feeling so out of her depth. “Can I do something to help?” 

“Stay here and Keep trying to get ahold of Dad,” Sharon said, reaching for the door. “We’ll definitely need him at some point.” 

It took almost 40 minutes of Steve mostly pacing and trying the phone in the kitchen before he got a hold of Dr. Carter. He promised to be there in 10 minutes. 

He’d just settled into one of the Barton’s kitchen chairs when a hiccuping wail filled the air followed by the back door opening and Dr Carter rushing through to the living room. 

Sharon staggered out moments later with an exhausted smile.

“It’s a boy,” she walked shakily over to the sink and washed her hands. 

“Hey,” Steve said, pulling up a chair for her. “How’s Laura doing?”

“She’s fine. Dad’s with her now.” 

He had to take her elbow and help her into the chair. She looked shaky, but relieved. 

“I’ve never done this without a doctor supervising before,” she confessed. “It is significantly more frightening.” 

Steve smiled. “Doesn’t seem like there’s too many things that scare you.”

She braced herself on one arm and leaned towards him a little. “I need you to forgive me.” 

“For what?” 

“For yelling at you last night,for starters. And for not being there when Peggy had Sarah.” 

“There’s absolutely nothing you need to be forgiven for. I’m the one who should’ve taken care of her,” Steve’s eyes widened. “She never even told you, she was pregnant.”

“Not in so many words,” Sharon said. “But there were hints. Little clues in the way she wrote her letters. I-”

“Could have done absolutely nothing,” She started a little when he put a very large hand on her elbow. It was warm and bracing in a way that made her feel oddly...sturdy. “She made it a habit of keeping secrets. I mean I  _ loved  _ her so much,but sometimes I felt like I barely understood her.” 

Sharon’s throat was beginning to hurt now, but she needed to say this. 

“Peggy wasn’t always happy here you know. Especially not at the start right after her parents passed. And I never made things easier.I resented having someone to share my parents with. We became close eventually but I never got to apologise for how I treated her sometimes.”

Steve’s smile sadly and Sharon found she’d shifted her palm over his hand on her elbow. “She could be complicated sometimes.” 

“It’s probably because she lost her parents so young,” she sighed. “Sarah isn’t like that though. There’s none of that anger. She’s just a normal little girl.” 

Steve’s smile broadened. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you guys! Tell me what you think.


	10. Take a breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a brief interlude. 
> 
> ese mango- is basically a way of describing a hot guy.

“Let me see if I understand,” Marta’s cousin Celia is wobbling a little, hand held out in front of her. “Why do you keep saying ‘no’ to  _ ese mango,  _ again?” 

“Because having a baby can’t be enough of a reason.” Marta shouts over the loud latin music of the club, making her sister roll her eyes. “It’s not like I don’t love him.” 

“So…,” Celia says dryly. “You’re completely loco.” 

“How many times has he proposed now?” Alice is counting on her hand. “Three?...No! Four times, now! What is your problem?” 

“Where is he these days?” Celia says, running her hand through her hair. “Tia Marina’s been asking why he wasn’t over for dinner the other night.” 

“He’s on contract to edit this book for a publisher in Boston, so he’s been busy.”

“I don’t know what it is that you want. Ransom’s a good father. He loves you.” Celia is shaking her head and Marta feels a little guilt creep in. “Marriages have been built on less.”

Marta swallows the rest of her vodka. 

When she gets back home later that night his laptop is sitting closed on the kitchen table and she can hear the shower running. 

Her first stop is Harrison’s room and he’s fast asleep, snoring inelegantly. 

She slips quietly into their bedroom’s attached bathroom and immediately feels a little thrill. 

She can see Ransom very clearly through the glass shower doors, naked and completely oblivious.

She takes a seat on the closed toilet and settles in to watch him shower. 

“I don’t know if any one’s told you this before. But you’re really very pretty to look at.” She says, startling him hard enough that he has to grab the sides of the shower. 

“Marta! Shit!” he gasps. “Fucking warn a guy!”

“But I didn’t want to warn you,” she says with a little pout. “I wanted to watch you get all soapy.” 

Ransom turns off the shower with a little grunt and slides open the shower door. “Get in here already.” 

Marta stands to slip out of her clothes, all the while watching droplets of water slide down his chest and biceps. 

She’s giggling when they step under the spray together, “Are you drunk?” He asks smoothing her hair away from her brow. 

“Celia and Alice wanted to go out.” 

“Ah. Say no more.” 

“I’ll shut up for a kiss.” 

He bends to kiss her. Mouth very soft and very thorough over hers. 

His hands are a different story though, cupping her bottom and pulling her right up against him. 

The kiss is endless and when he does pull away to let her gasp shallow breaths he kisses her neck and shoulders. Pressing her close and murmuring how much he loves her and wants her. 

How good she feels and how good she makes him feel. 

_ Mmmmmm _ ,  _ it’s almost embarrassing that this is all it takes to make her wet anymore.  _

Something about what he’s saying makes her want to bruise him a little. She bites him on the soft part of his chest beneath the collar bone and he makes a surprised sound. Pulling her legs around him and thrusting inside her. 

Her eyes screw themselves shut and her fingers clamp in his hair while he drags himself in and out of her. 

Release is quick, mutual and deeply satisfying after that. 

“Okay,” He says, blowing out a little breath while he leans her against the bathroom tiles. “Is it just me or was that very good?” 

“Top 10.” Marta says with a little giggle. 

“Here,” he hands her the soap after washing himself off. “You finish your shower and I’m going to go check on Baby.” 

“Okay,” Marta says, giving him a quick peck. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.” 

His laugh when she gives him a smart pat on the ass, making her smile. 

When she comes out of the bathroom in a big fluffy robe and towel wrapped around her head, Ransom is lying on his back with Harrison on his chest. 

He’s wide awake and makes grabby motions for her with his chubby fingers. 

“Hi,” Marta says, taking him from his father and cuddling him happily. “Did we wake you  _ mi amor _ ?” 

“He was already awake when I got there. I think he knew you were home.” 

Harrison tries to pull the towel on her head making Marta laugh. “Well He doesn’t look like he’s going to bed anytime soon. Why don’t we watch a movie or something?” 

After Marta dries her hair and Harrison is playing with a stuffed toy at the foot of the bed she looks over at Ransom beside her and says, “I’m going to say ‘yes’ the next time you ask me to marry you.” 

“Really?” Ransom swivels his head to grin at her. “Tired of living in sin?” 

Harrison starts shaking the toy around and screaming happily so Ransom reaches over and grabs him. 

“I was also promised a little girl.” He says kissing his son's head. 

“We aren’t having any more kids until we’re married.” Marta says primly. “I want you to ask me properly. No babies. Nothing  _ overly _ romantic. Just us.” 

“Deal. It’ll be just us.” There’s a heated promise in the depth of his eyes when he says that. 

Marta wonders if this is how it’ll always be. If they’ll always be this nuts about each other. 

“Can I make it a surprise or do I have to warn you in advance?” 

Marta drags herself over to settle against his chest. “I’ll love it. Whatever it is that you plan will make me happy.” 

Harrison yawns widely and snuggles against Ransom’s shoulder. They can tell he’s in one of his more cuddly moods tonight, so Ransom switches off the tv and the three of them cling to each other.


	11. Let's talk about sex

Sharon wound up sleeping in the next day. She actually lay in her bed for almost twenty minutes contemplating how she was going to apologise. 

Her daydreaming was interrupted by an erratic knock on the door. 

“Aunt Shari! Are you sick? Cal sent me up to check on you.” 

“I’m fine sweetie,” Sharon called. “You can come in.” 

The door opened with a bang and Sarah came bounding in. She was already dressed and immediately clambered under the covers with her aunt. 

“Hi!” 

“Hi.”

They kissed each other sloppily and Sarah burrowed close to her aunt. 

“Cal told me Mattie had a baby brother last night.”

“He did.” 

Sharon shifted on her back and Sarah slumped over her like a sack of flour. This was like their version of girl time. Something they hadn’t done much of lately. 

“Can we go see the baby soon?” 

“Sure,” Sharon smiled, sifting her fingers through her cornsilk hair. “When he gets a little bigger.” 

“How come I don’t have any brothers or sisters?” Sarah asked suddenly, tracing patterns on Sharon’s nightie. 

“Well your Mama and Steve only made one of you,” Sharon said pressing Sarah’s nose like a button. 

“How?” 

“Huh?” Sharon’s fingers halted in Sarah’s hair. “What do you mean how?” 

“How did Mama and Steve make me?” 

“Um, well I don’t think I know that one,” Sharon said caught off guard. 

Sarah narrowed her eyes at her, her pretty pouty Rogers’ lower lip sticking out even further. “Yes you do! You look like a tomato.” 

Sharon sat up brightly and placed her niece on the floor. “Wow! Look at the time. I have got to get dressed.” 

“Aunt Shari! I know you know!”

She was still bickering with Sharon when they came downstairs to find Steve, Bucky and Cal in the kitchen. 

Steve looked up from the paper he was reading and smiled at them both, “Morning Ladies, what’s all the-”

“Steve, how did you and Mama make me?” Sarah asked, eyes big. 

It was almost comical that Steve looked a little like he was choking on his own Adam’s apple. 

“Whoa. What?”

Sarah ran over and grabbed his arm. “Aunt Shari won’t tell me.” 

“I told you,” Sharon said, rolling her eyes and joining Bucky at the table. “I don’t know.” 

“Yes, you do!” Sarah had escalated to near tantrum levels. “I wanna know how I gots made!” 

She punctuated that last statement with a foot stamping.

“Okay, everybody take it easy!” Bucky had stood up, arms like he was negotiating a hostage situation. “ _ I’ll _ tell you where babies come from.” 

Sarah squealed, “Yay.” At the same time Steve shouted, “What, no!” 

He pointed squarely at his best friend’s daughter, “You were a Christmas present.” 

“Oh my God.” Cal rolled her eyes. 

Sharon tried to smother her laugh at Sarah’s look of confusion while Steve hoisted her onto his side. “A Christmas present from who?” 

“From who else? From Santa.” 

Sarah gave a pout, “But my birthday is before Christmas.”

“Aw jeez.” Steve shook his head at the same time Cal reached over and hit Bucky sharply. 

“You can’t be telling that baby nonsense like this, you'll confuse her.” 

“Why don’t you do it then?” Bucky said, slumping back into his seat. 

“‘Cuz that’s something for Mamas to explain,” Cal explained. “In this case your Aunt Shari will have to do it, instead.” 

Sharon made a face. 

“I think she’s still mad at us,” Steve told Sharon out of the corner of his mouth while Sarah refused to look at either of them as they walked up the drive to the Stark house. 

“Why do I have to give her ‘the talk’?” Sharon grumbled, while Sarah stomped on ahead. 

“Cause you’re a girl.” Steve said with a little smile. 

“Yuck it up Rogers,” Sharon warned as she rang Pepper’s doorbell. “If I have to do this you’re gonna back me up.”

“Oh goody,” Steve mumbled. 

Sarah all but darted between Pepper’s legs howling for Morgan when the door opened. 

“I’ve gotta warn you,” Sharon told her. “She heard about the Barton baby this morning and has been asking about where babies come from.” 

“Her too?” Pepper laughed. “Morgan’s been asking me stuff like that. God, I swear it’s like those two share a brain.” 

“I’ll come by around lunch to pick her up,” Steve told Pepper. “I’m dropping Sharon off at her boyfriend’s for some groveling.” 

He had to dance away a little, chuckling when he dodged the closed fisted thump Sharon aimed at his arm, “That’s strike two,Rogers.” 

“Oh?” Pepper crossed her arms, settling against the doorframe for a good gossip. “Trouble in paradise?” 

“We’re leaving,” Sharon said firmly, turning to Steve with a threatening look. “Right now.” 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Sharon’s car hadn’t started that morning. Which was why Steve had offered to drive her to Grayson’s in the pick up Clint was lending him. 

Which also gave them time to discuss the birds and the bees speech they’d have to give Sarah now. 

“How did your parents explain this to you?” Steve began, uncomfortably. “Your father is a doctor. He must’ve had some idea.”

“I wish,” Sharon scoffed. “My parents earmarked a chapter in one of dad’s textbooks and said I could return it whenever I wanted. They kept using the words ‘reproductive organs’ if I asked them stuff.” 

“Can’t we just do that?” 

Sharon made a scrunched face at him, “Say reproductive organs a lot? Maybe you haven’t noticed but she’s not exactly a dumb blonde. She knows when adults are hiding things. I was really hoping it’d be a few more years before she started asking this stuff.” 

“How old were you?” Steve said, voice tentative and very soft. “When stuff like this started becoming an issue.” 

Sharon stifled a giggle.

Steve’s face was bright red and he wasn’t really looking at her, “I’m a single father with a little girl. It would be incredibly unhelpful if she learned  _ stuff  _ from the same place I did.” 

“Which is…” 

“Bucky,” Steve chuckled. “You think that whole ‘present from Santa’ thing was bad? You should hear what it’s like when he really gets going. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women. If you’ve got any single friends coming tomorrow you might want to consider building a fence around ‘em.” 

Sharon threw her head back and laughed. She was still laughing when Steve turned down the road to the Daniels’ estate. 

He let out a low whistle when he pulled up in front of the three story colonial. 

“Damn,” he muttered. “This better be a good apology. Want me to pick you up, later?” 

“No thanks,” Sharon said, hopping out of her seat. She closed the door behind her and leaned into the open window a little. “Could you pick up a few crates of beer for tomorrow?” 

“Not a problem,” his smile was very warm, it made his eyes seem bluer. “What kind?” 

“The kind a bunch of guys might like?” Sharon said sheepishly. 

Steve laughed, “I’ll make you a deal. You figure out something to tell Sarah that’ll tide her over for this baby making stuff til she’s at least 40 and I’ll pick out the beer.” 

“You got it,” Sharon said, drumming her fingers against the door. 

She backed away from the truck and watched him drive away. 

God this apology was going to suck. 

It was so awful the last time she’d seen him. 

But, for some reason she was in an incredibly good mood. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah seemed to have forgotten she was mad at him when he came to get her.

She came running out the Starks’ front door and threw her arms around his knees. 

“Hi, hi, h!” 

“Hi sweetie,” he hoisted her into his arms and tickled her a little. “You hungry after all that playing?” 

“Uh-huh,” she slumped over his shoulder while he carried her across the street. “I had lotsa fun.” 

When Steve got closer he noticed someone in a nice dress with long blonde hair standing on the Carters’ porch. For a minute he thought it was Sharon, but she’d called Cal and said she would be staying for lunch at the Daniels’. 

“Who’s that?” 

Sarah lifted her head from his shoulder to look. 

Her eyes went wide, “Oh my gosh!”she squealed. “It’s aunt Shari’s Gammy!” 

She was shaking him in her excitement so Steve put her down. 

She immediately ran toward the woman who had stepped off the porch with her arms outstretched to hug his daughter. 

“Gammy when did you get here?” Sarah was asking her when they squeezed each other. “Are you here for the party tomorrow? Did you bring me a present?” 

“Slow down, Honey.” The blonde woman was laughing. “Those are too many questions!” 

When she rose holding his daughter’s hand Steve noticed that she did look alot like Sharon. 

“Steven Rogers,” she smiled, causing the corners of her eyes to crinkle. “We meet at last.” 

“This is my Daddy!” Sarah said pointing at Steve. “He’s from New York.” 

“I know dear,” she held out a hand for Steve to shake. “I’m technically Mrs Devoux but for God’s sake call me Katherine.” 

“Steve,” he responded with a smile. There was something that reminded him of both Amanda and Sharon. “Just Steve really.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Katherine’s smile had broadened. “Why don’t we go in before we get in trouble with Cal.” 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Grayson was thrilled she’d apologised. They ended up spending most of the day together. He’d already forgiven her but it was a relief for Sharon that he was so damn happy with her again. 

He kissed her pretty solidly when he dropped her off later in the night. It was late enough when she got home that she’d have to sneak upstairs without waking Sarah. 

She’d have to sneak in through the kitchen. 

She was focused on closing the kitchen door behind her without a sound when someone cleared their throat behind her. 

“What’s this?” Katherine was saying with a smile. “Breaking curfew? Shoes in your hand? You better explain yourself young lady.” 

“Gammy!” Sharon half shrieked, dropping her shoes and all pretence of being quiet by rushing her grandmother for a hug. “What’re you doing here?” 

“I’m here for your engagement, Honey.” she was smiling and pulling her up the back kitchen stairs. “I brought you something to wear.” 

“Mom already got me a dress.” 

“I brought you a better dress.” she said with a little nod. 

They had to sneak upstairs past Sarah’s room so she wouldn’t wake up and try to make them play with her. 

“I love that girl, but she’s got too much energy.” Katherine said closing Sharon’s door behind her with a little grin. 

“She was asking me where babies come from today,” Sharon sat heavily on the bed and tossed her shoes on the floor. “She’s four.”

“I met Peg’s husband this afternoon,” she said. “While you were out with your boyfriend.” 

“Steve’s nice.” Sharon said with a little shrug. 

“Yes, I’ll bet that’s exactly why she was in such a hurry to marry him,” Katherine said with a little grin. “Cuz he was  _ nice.”  _

“Grandma,” Sharon pretended to chide, reaching for the garment bag on her bed. “You’re an awful prude tonight.” 

She unzipped the bag and nearly gasped aloud. 

“Ah,” Katherine smiled. “I thought you’d like that. You and I do share similar tastes.” 

“Grayson will definitely appreciate this.” 

“Honey,” Katherine said dryly. “Every man with a pulse will appreciate this.” 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Steve discovered that helping his daughter pick out a pair of shoes required more deliberation than he previously assumed. 

“I want Aunt Shari,” Sarah said simply. “She helps me get dressed.” 

She was standing in the middle of a small explosion of little girl’s shoes. 

Amanda had begged him to handle Sarah, who had let her put her new dress on, but had somehow drawn the line at letting someone else pick out her shoes.

“Sharon needs time to dress up .” Steve said patiently. “It’s her day. Why don’t you show her what a big girl you are putting your shoes on. How about the white ones? They look pretty with your dress.” 

She nodded, suddenly thoughtful and held up the shoes for Steve, “Can you help me? I can’t do buckles yet.” 

He seated her on the bed and bent to put her tiny shoes on her tiny feet. Maybe it would’ve been easier if she’d been a boy, but there was something to be said for having a tiny, pretty blonde daughter who wore frilly dresses and matching shoes. It made his heart feel all soft. 

“There,” he said, patting her leg when he was done. “All done. Now you can run around with Morgan all you want.” 

Sarah swung her feet in front of her a little, staring intently at her shoes, “Steve?” 

“Yes?” 

“Is Aunt Shari gonna have a baby?” 

_ Oh boy, not this again! _

Steve felt a small frisson of panic, “Did someone say she was going to have a baby?” 

“Mo’gan says when Aunt Shari gets married she’ll have a baby. Coz that’s how babies get made.” 

“Oh,” Steve breathed out a laugh, perching himself beside his daughter. “Yeah people have kids when they get married. You could have cousins to play with.”

That made Sarah’s eyes widen, “Will Aunt Shari hafta look after another little girl? What about me?” 

Steve reached out and tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear, “You really love your Sharon don’t you?” 

“She’s the best Aunty in Virginia,” Sarah said firmly. “We’ve been best friends since I was just a little baby.” 

The reminder that he hadn’t got to hold her and bond with her when she’d been a baby was suddenly too much. He swallowed hard and rubbed a thumb over one rosy cheek. 

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” he said holding her blue green gaze with his own. “I wish I’d been around more. I wasn’t a very good Dad.” 

Sarah stood up suddenly and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s okay. You don’t hafta be sad.” 

Steve hugged her small body back tightly. For such a little girl she sure did have a big heart. 

They were still hugging when the door opened and Sharon stuck her head in. 

“Oh, hey,” she smiled apologetically. “Am I ruining a moment?” 

“Nope,” Steve kissed Sarah’s shoulder and released his daughter. “We were just finishing up.” 

Sharon opened the door all the way so she could step inside, her appearance making both Steve and Sarah gasp in unison. 

“Aunt Shari,” Sarah said. “I like your pretty dress.” 

Steve wasn’t sure if it was the clingy column of green satin that was pretty or maybe (more realistically) the woman who was wearing it made it look that way, but…

“You look beautiful,” He found himself blurting, “I mean wow I-” 

He just couldn’t stop rambling. 

  
  


“Thank you,” she coughed almost at him and then because his staring was probably making her uncomfortable she smiled at his daughter and held out a hand for her to take, not really meeting his gaze because he was being such a freak. “Ready to go downstairs? Guests will be here soon.” 

He nodded quietly and followed her and Sarah down the stairs realising too late that it was a mistake to do that because the dress had a low enough back he’d started to wonder if she needed to wear a bra underneath. 

He was still trying to derail this strange train of thought that had hijacked his brain when they came downstairs. 

He’d begun praying no one could tell what was going on in his head even when they’d all gathered in the backyard and Dr. Carter started with a speech before dinner. 

“Amanda and I didn’t have any other kids,” He smiled at everyone around. “Not for lack of trying, mind you.” 

Most people laughed, including Katherine. Amanda Carter let out an indignant squeak, while he daughter rolled her eyes heavenward. 

Steve grinned himself, but still put both hands over Sarah’s ears as insurance.

“It’s been a rough couple of years,” he went on. “Most of you know we lost our niece a few years ago. She wanted to serve her country and she did. God knows, Amanda and I were scared and tried very hard to discourage her but nothing stands in the way of a brave woman.” 

Steve felt a lump in his throat. Beside him, Bucky had looked at the ground. He’d been there when Peggy had passed, something Steve would always be grateful for. 

“When I lost my brother a few years ago I found some solace in trying to be a father to his daughter. And when Margaret passed we got a chance to give her daughter the family a little girl deserves.” 

Steve tightened his hold on Sarah. 

“When all is said and done there’s nothing more important than the bond of family,” Dr. Carter raised his glass in Steve's direction. “Steven you don’t know what a relief it was knowing you were alive. I know you’ve had an incredibly hard life, but there’s nothing better than getting to watch your daughter grow up. Try as she might, my wife will unfortunately always be the second most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.” 

“Ah, fuck me.” Bucky muttered. 

“You okay?” Steve asked. 

“Fine. Fine.” Bucky muttered, pressing his fingers to his eyelids. “It’s just stupid Dr. Carter. I didn’t even cry when the war was over.” 

Steve patted his back, smiling a little to himself. 

“Anyway,” Dr. Carter boomed happily at the crowd of family and friends he’d reduced to tears. “For some reason, we’re throwing a party because Grayson has decided to take my daughter away from me.” There were warm chuckles all around. 

“Sharon it never made us unhappy that we didn’t have kids after you.” Harrison said tipping his glass in her direction. “Why would we even want any more? When you’re the best child parents could hope for. I always said there would never be a man good enough for our baby girl, but if Grayson is who you want to spend your life with, honey he must be pretty damn close.” 

Steve found himself glancing at Sarah. Dr. Carter was right. Of all the bad things that had happened, there was lots to look forward to. He’d get to watch Sarah grow up. Send her off to school. Bandage her bruises and tell her bedtime stories. 

And then one day he’d probably be where Dr Carter was right now. Getting to watch his daughter walk down the aisle.

He’d lost plenty. 

But there was a long life ahead of him and found he could definitely move on. 

It would be difficult, but what was new? Every good thing he’d ever got had been worth the pain to get it. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The longer the evening wore on the wilder it seemed to get. Especially once the older guests had begged off after dinner leaving the younger crowd with free access to the alcohol and record player. 

Steve found himself tipsy and seated on the back porch surrounded by Nat Barton, Bruce Banner, Pepper and her husband Tony and Sharon and Grayson.

“Hey,” Nat asked from her perch on Bruce’s lap. “Has anyone seen Barnes?” 

Steve had opened his mouth to talk when Tony Stark beat him to it. 

“I’ll give you a hint,” he said, head in his wife’s lap. “It might have something to do with the fact that your blonde friend Lorraine is missing too.”

“Ugh, Lorraine.” Nat pretended to gag. “She’s probably taking his innocence as we speak.” 

“What’re you laughing at?” Sharon asked Steve who was hiding a smile behind his hand. 

“It’s nothing,” he coughed. “It’s just that Bucky hasn’t been  _ innocent  _ since he was 14.” 

“I have nothing but respect for your best friend,” Bruce told Steve reverently, making Nat hit him sharply in the chest. 

There was a collective mixture of noises of approval and chuckles. 

“Hey?” Sharon said, drawing Steve’s attention to herself. “Did someone put Sarah to bed?” 

“Katherine put her to bed with Morgan a little while ago,” Pepper said with a grin. “It’s kind of sweet, it's like their first sleepover. But I think I should go check on them. Just see that they’re comfortable.” 

“Let me do it,” Steve said, polishing off his remaining beer and pushing to stand. “You guys have fun. Have another drink.” 

“We’ll keep one cold for you, buddy,” Tony called while Steve went back in through the kitchen. 

He had to be quiet when he went up the backstairs. He didn’t want to wake the Carters or Sharon’s grandma. 

Sarah’s bedroom door was half-open. So it wasn’t too hard for him to peek inside.

Both girls were fast asleep. Both wearing some of Sarah’s pyjamas and curled around one another like a pair of kittens. 

He smiled to himself and started to back up, closing the door behind him as he did. 

“You kids are still drinking the state dry?” 

Katherine was standing in the hall wearing a big fluffy white robe. 

“Most of the people are gone. It’s mostly Sharon’s friends finishing the beer.” 

“And you came up here to check on Sarah?” She was smiling at him. “Don’t worry about it. They played for a little bit and went right to bed. Why don’t you go help finish that beer?” 

Steve could feel he was properly drunk now. Evidenced by the fact that he wanted to drink a little more. 

When he came downstairs Sharon was rooting around in the fridge. 

“Party over already?” 

“Nope,” Sharon turned and stood with one hand over one side of her face. “Are we out of ice?” 

Steve blinked, coming around the kitchen island to stand in front of her, “What happened to you?” 

“Nat and I were playing catch.” 

“In the dark?” 

“Yes, it might be why I hit my face on that big tree out in the yard.”

“Why don’t you sit down,” he said tugging at her elbow a little so he could reach into the fridge behind them while she slumped into a nearby chair. “Where’s Grayson?” 

“He had to take his sister home. She was slurring her words and hitting on Tony and Bruce.” 

Steve chuckled, pulling a bag of frozen peas out and handing it to Sharon, “We’re all a little drunk. Me included and I’m a pretty hard drinker usually.” 

“You call those beers you’ve been sipping hard-drinking?” Sharon said, slinging the peas over one side of her face. “I thought you were in a war. Want some scotch?” 

Steve raised his eyebrows at her, “You mean your Dad’s scotch?” 

“Come on,” Sharon said, rising for the chair and gesturing for him to follow her through to the living room. “He won’t mind. It’s like a tradition, stealing his scotch on special occasions.” 

Steve was vaguely aware that he probably shouldn’t follow someone else’s fiance into her father’s darkened study. 

Common sense, unfortunately, didn’t seem to be the dominant feeling right then. 

Just a hazy feeling of pleasure from enjoying himself after so long and a desire to do whatever the pretty girl told him to do. 

Sharon flicked a switch to turn on a light and made a beeline for the glass cabinet, “He keeps his favourite in this decanter in the back.” 

Steve found himself glancing around while she pulled out two glasses. There were a bunch of leather bound books that looked like photo albums. 

“There any of Sarah here? Of when she was a baby?” he found himself asking. 

“Sure,” she held out one glass for him and pulled out a slim book from the end of the shelf with her free hand. “This one. I think it’s from just after Mom and Dad brought her home.” 

There was a small table and a sofa that looked like it would fit two people. Sharon settled herself on one end and opened the album on the table. Carefully lifting away the tissue paper between pages while Steve took a seat beside her. 

The first photo was of Dr Carter sitting on the arm of the chair in the living room while his wife held Sarah, bundled in a fluffy white blanket. You could just make out her tiny face peeking out from the cloth. 

“She looks pretty small,” Steve observed sipping at his glass to wet his throat. 

“Well, she was a preemie,” Sharon explained. “Had a little jaundice too. We used to have to put her out in the sun on the front porch. She really hated that. Used to scream until someone picked her up.” 

The next image was of a slightly bigger Sarah in a bassinet, wearing a onesie. She had her fingers in her mouth and her eyes were big and staring at the camera. 

“She still sticks her hand into her mouth when she’s nervous sometimes,” Sharon said fondly. 

Steve turned to look at her and found she’d almost drained her glass completely. A few wisps of hair had escaped the loose bun she had it in and hung around her face...almost like they were asking to be brushed behind her ear. 

Fortunately, there was a loud thump from directly above them that had Steve sloshing his drink in his glass. 

“What the hell was that?” Steve muttered, blinking up at the ceiling. Beside him, Sharon groaned and downed the rest of her drink. 

“That,” she said, putting her glass down firmly. “Would be my parents.” 

There was another, softer thump. 

Steve gave her a look of utter confusion, “What’re they doing? Moving the furniture?” 

“You could say that,” Sharon said dryly at the same time a giggle filtered its way down from the ceiling. 

“Oh?” Steve frowned for a bit then watched his eyes widen in slow realisation. “Oh my God!” 

“Don’t,” Sharon held her hands over both ears. “Please don’t say that.” 

“I mean that's-,” Steve stuttered, trying to contain the laugh threatening to bubble out of him. “That’s actually kind of sweet.” 

Sharon was shaking her head now, “Okay, it’s time to go.” She picked up the photo album and shoved it back into the shelf. “These photos will still be here tomorrow. For the love of God let’s go back outside.” 

“Come on,” Steve was laughing as he drained his glass, watching Sharon frantically put away the decanter and her own glass. “I think it’s romantic. They’re still into each other after all these years.” 

He watched her lock the door behind her after dragging him out into the darkened hall. 

“That was-” her face was red. “That was so mortifying. They’re the most embarrassing parents in the world.” 

“I like your parents,” Steve was saying, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning a shoulder against the wall. “And if I’d had your father growing up, maybe I’d have a better idea of what I’m supposed to do with Sarah.” 

Sharon’s eyes widened a little and he noticed her teeth sink into her lower lip. “You’re doing alright.” 

And then something came pouring out of him that he hadn’t even had the guts to tell Peggy, “My father could be really mean,” he found himself confessing. “I wish you could say it was because he drank a lot, but I mean he was like that when he was sober too.”

“Steve-” she’d stepped closer then. “What’re you-”

“You know this is the first time I’ve talked about my father in ten years,” he confessed. “I wanted to tell Peggy when she was pregnant, but I just couldn’t, you know. I didn’t want her to know where I came from. What  _ I  _ came from.” 

Sometime in their conversation she’d drawn closer and then she was sliding her arms around his shoulders. 

“You’ll be a good father,” she said smoothing a hand in circles around the middle of his back. “You’re  _ already  _ a good father.”

“I don’t know about that,” he said, uncertainly, pressing his face into her shoulder. He probably shouldn’t get so cosy but he really didn’t want to shy away from this sudden source of comfort. 

She squeezed him tighter and Steve wound both arms around her waist. She was very warm and very soft and the longer he held on the more he noticed how thin and silky her dress was. 

Fortunately, she pulled back a little right then. 

Unfortunately, Steve hadn’t let go of her fully. 

She stared up at him, both hands on his shoulder, “Want some chocolate pie? I think Cal packed one last one in the fridge for dessert tomorrow. But this seems like an emergency. I’m sure she won’t mind.” 

She smelled a little like orange blossoms. Usually, she smelled like Sarah. Like ripe strawberries. 

Something was very different tonight. Charged and heavy between them. He opened his mouth to speak but no words would come out. 

“Steve?” one of her hands had shifted to his nape, smoothing some of the fine hair like she was trying to get his attention. 

His brain had gone delightfully blank. No doubt helped along by how much he’d drank tonight, but it probably had something to do with how close she was standing. How incredibly warm she felt under his hands. 

And she was looking up at him with this pleading look in her eyes, soft lips slightly parted like she was trying to take a breath but couldn’t. 

Had he been in his right mind he’d have walked away. Been a gentleman and let her go. 

This wasn’t one of those times. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sharon had wanted Steve to kiss her. 

From the minute he’d looked down at her eyes all warm and inviting she’d wanted him to kiss her. 

That didn’t stop her from uttering a soft surprised gasp when he bent his head and pressed his mouth to hers. 

Her first thought was how different he felt against her from Grayson. 

Bigger. 

And not nearly as gentle. 

Especially when his hand swept up her back and tangled fingers in her hair. 

Tugging and coaxing for her to tilt her head back. 

To open her mouth for his. 

To let him in. 

Maybe in ways more than one. 

God this felt incredible! 

Especially when he pressed his other hand into her lower back and swept her into his further chest, turning to press her into the nearest wall. 

The sound he made when he nipped at her lower lip nearly killed her. She was a very willing captive anyhow, making a soft breathy noise herself when his tongue swept over her bottom lip to soothe the thrust of his teeth. 

Her hands moved frantically over his chest and into his hair. When he changed the angle of his kiss, the new position let him fit his hips snugly against hers. 

They might have kissed forever if someone hadn’t cleared their throat loudly.

“Well,” Nat Barton said, grinning cheerfully. “This is awkward.” 


	12. Let that sink in for a moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharon and Steve have some strange feelings.

“You’re staying over right? I’m gonna bring the car around,” Bruce told Natasha while they watched the Starks stagger across the street and into their house. “Why don’t you go find Steve. See if he needs a ride. Guy’s not gonna be able to take himself home with the way he’s been drinking.” 

Nat eased her way out from under his arm and stretched a little, “What about Barnes?” 

“I’ll swing by Lorraine’s tomorrow morning and pick him up,” He chuckled. “Or whatever’s left of him.” 

They shared a smile before Nat tiptoed her way back into the house. Cal had packed away the leftovers and they’d dragged most of the furniture and decor onto the back porch. She could help Sharon drag the stuff in on Sunday afternoon. 

Speaking of.

Where was Sharon? 

She’d been gone for at least forty minutes at this point. 

Maybe she’d fallen asleep on the couch? 

“Shar?” she glanced over the living room couch and found it empty. Maybe she was upstairs. Wherever she was Nat had to let her know Bruce was taking Steve home. 

She put a hand on the banister and nearly had a heart attack when she happened to glance down the hall. 

Because her best friend was enveloped in a passionate embrace with a man who certainly wasn’t her intended. 

_ Fuuuuuuuuuuuck! _

For a minute she wasn’t sure what to do. 

She stepped a little closer to them,to do what she wasn’t sure. 

Maybe they’d stop sucking face long enough to notice she was there? 

Then Sharon made a noise that made her realise they definitely were  _ not  _ going to stop and Nat had to do something before someone else happened to come down and see them. 

“Well,” she said loud enough to make them gasp and pull away from each other, “This is awkward.” 

They were both panting heavily and blinking at her like they’d been caught doing something very, very wrong. 

Which they had. 

She was trying really hard not to notice Sharon’s hands curled into his shirt or how Steve’s hands were in a place his hands had no business being. 

_ Oh boy.  _

“Oookay,” Nat drawled, while they pulled away hastily from one another smoothing clothing back into place. “Why don’t I make things easy for you both. Steve, Bruce is out front he’ll give you a ride home. It might be best you skeddadle real quick, okay?” 

Steve beat a hasty retreat, brushing past her and only pausing to give Sharon one last indecipherable look, before closing the door behind him. 

When she turned back to question her best friend she had a hand over her mouth and her hair was a mess. 

“Wow,” Nat said dryly. “That was some kiss.” 

Sharon’s hand fell to her side, her mouth opened and closed like she was trying to make words come out. 

“I got nothing,” she breathed out suddenly. “Nat I don’t know why-“ 

“I know. I know,” Nat reached out and tugged her arm, placing an arm around her dazed best friend and escorting her up the stairs. “Why don’t we get some sleep. We can deal with this in the morning.” 

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Bruce pulled up in front of the house Lorraine shared with her cousin and honked a couple of times. 

Lorraine appeared in an upstairs window, waved cheerfully at him and then gestured for him to wait a bit. 

A few minutes later a decided jaunty looking Bucky came strolling out the house in the same clothes he’d worn the night before.

“Morning Doc,” he said, getting into the front seat, looking rumpled but otherwise happy. “Someone send you to rescue me?” 

“Not really,” Bruce said, pulling away from the curb. “I figured you could use a ride though. Why, did you need rescuing?” 

“Nope,” Bucky grinned. “I think I was in good hands.” 

Bruce laughed, “Lorraine’s a nice girl. I mean she scares the bejeesus outta me. But she’s a nice girl.” 

“Speaking of nice people,” Bucky said, leaning his elbow out the window. “Steve get home okay?” 

“I dropped him off at Clint’s building last night,” Bruce glanced sideways at him. “He seemed a little spooked.” 

“Spooked?” 

“Yeah I mean, not that it’s any of my business really but he didn’t say a word to me the whole way back.” 

“He gets a little caught up in his own head sometimes. He’s been like that since we were kids.”

“He was probably just drunk,” Bruce mused. “He was looking pretty happy up until I drove him home. He must’ve had a good time.”

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Sharon jerked awake to bright sunshine and a pounding headache. 

“Morning,” Nat grinned from the foot of the bed. “How’s the hangover?” 

“Awful,” Sharon groaned. “How much did I drink?” 

“The question is,” Nat went on. “How much do you remember?” 

It didn’t take long. 

“Oh my God,” Sharon lurched into a sitting position with a horrified gasp. “Did I kiss Steve last night?”

“Yes,” Nat said, brutally honest because she was way too baffled by this turn of events to even make jokes. “How did that even happen?” 

Nat watched her friend have some sort of internal crisis. She slumped against the headboard and buried her face in her hands. 

“I can’t believe that happened,” she breathed, heavily. 

“Me neither,” Nat said. “I’m not the kind of girl who’s easily surprised, but you sure took care of that Carter.” 

“Oh God,” Sharon groaned, through her fingers.“I kissed another man at my own engagement party.” 

Nat gave her a thoughtful look. “Jeez, Sharon. Do you care about him, at all?” 

Sharon looked up from her hands, “Who, Steve?” 

Nat blinked in surprise, “I meant Grayson, actually. But it’s interesting where your head went just now.” 

Sharon didn’t seem to hear that bit. She was too busy backing into the headboard and wrapping her arms around her knees. 

“Fuck me,” she muttered, rocking back and forth. “Fuck me!” 

“It sure as hell looked like he was tryin’ to,” Nat said innocently. 

The look Sharon gave her was positively murderous. Nat tried not to smile. 

She really, really did. 

She scooted forward on her knees so she could be closer to a clearly fragile friend. “Just tell me what happened.” 

So Sharon told her what happened. 

“And it was just a kiss?” Nat said, evenly. “That’s all it was? A drunken smooch?” 

“What else do you want to call it?” Sharon looked positively distressed. 

“I don’t know,” Nat said. “We’ve been plenty drunk together in bars and had guys come up to us. You’ve never ended up with them in dark corners.” 

“I’m a monster.” Sharon whispered over the tops of her knees. 

“You’re not a monster,” Natasha said evenly. “I mean don’t get me wrong. This was some spectacularly poor judgement but you’re not a monster.” 

“What am I gonna do now?” Sharon bit her lower lip. “I have to tell Grayson.” 

Nat’s eyebrows rose, “Slow down. Why do you have to tell him? You just said it was nothing.”

“Because I think this counts as being unfaithful.”

“Unfaithful?” Nat scrunched up her nose. “Let’s not be dramatic. You guys aren’t married.”

“We’re  _ going  _ to be married, Natasha.” Sharon said pointedly, then her expression faltered. “Why don't you think I should tell him?”

Nat held up her hands in a helpless gesture, “I’m just saying take a minute. Think about whether or not telling him would do more harm than good.” 

Sharon ran her hands through her hair. “Okay, maybe you’re right. Being hasty won’t do anything. Do you think I should talk to Steve?”

“Eh?” Nat said. “What for?”

Sharon’s eyes went wide, “I can’t just avoid him can I? He’s Sarah’s father. He’ll be around.”

“What is there to talk about?,” Nat was laughing now. “You're going to tell him, ‘Hey that was fun but let’s never do that again’. Come on it’s just awkward and pointless.”

“I  _ kissed  _ Peggy’s husband.”

“Yeah and you were really getting in there too,” Nat nudged her. “Come on admit it. Peggy would be a little proud.” 

Sharon grabbed her pillow and pressed it over her head. 

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Steve had technically fallen asleep the night before. 

But he hadn’t slept peacefully. 

He was so keyed up and confused from that kiss that his brain had conjured up all kinds of scenarios. 

Ones where Nat Barton hadn’t interrupted them and he’d pulled Sharon back into Dr Carter’s study, pulled off that dress and pushed himself inside her. 

Other confused distorted images of pulling off that pretty yellow dress she’d worn a few nights ago and dragging her into his lap for a less than innocent kiss that left her breathy and panting. 

He could hear her whimper and moan. 

Grow soft and wet from touching her as explicitly as she would allow. 

Because she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. 

And all he wanted was to watch that normally calm composed expression of hers reduced to a look of pure bliss. 

_ Oh God! She whimpered.  _

_ Steve.  _

He jerked upright with a gasp. 

He was alone. Sunlight streaming in from the windows. 

And a distinct sticky spot between his legs that he hadn’t had to deal with in a long time. 

He wondered, as he heard the front door open and Bucky call his name, why his life had to be so goddamn weird. 


End file.
